AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal has written to the Chief Election Commissioner and the National Broadcasting Standards Authority, seeking a probe into a recent sting operation aired by a private news channel on ‘manufactured ‘ opinion polls conducted by some well-known agencies.

“The sting operation indicates a conspiracy to manufacture and manipulate public opinion before elections through opinion polls. This conspiracy challenges the foundations democracy,” Kejriwal wrote in the letters that were released to the media on Monday.

He said the sting operation showed some parties were “buying favourable surveys, often using black money”.

The AAP sought a criminal investigation carried out by a Special Investigation Team, preferably monitored by the Supreme Court, to verify all the allegations in the sting.

Kejriwal said his party does not favour a blanket ban on opinion polls, and urged the Election Commission to issue clear guidelines to organisations conducting such polls and print/electronic media which intend to publish/telecast such polls for fixing the accountability of the job done by them.

The AAP also said there is also need to look into the “important issue of ownership of media organisations.”

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