AAP, Congress hail Supreme Court’s observations on Chandigarh mayoral polls

PTI

Chandigarh, February 5

The AAP and the Congress on Monday hailed the Supreme Court expressing annoyance after watching a video of the electoral proceedings during the Chandigarh mayoral polls, saying it was a "tight slap" on the face of the BJP.

Appalled by the alleged defacing of ballot papers during the Chandigarh mayoral polls, the Supreme Court on Monday said it was a mockery of democracy and ordered that the ballots and the video of the electoral proceedings be preserved.

Taking note of a plea of an AAP councillor alleging wrongdoing during the polls, the court issued notices to the Chandigarh authorities, including the civic body.

A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra expressed annoyance after watching the video of the electoral proceedings and said that, prima facie, the returning officer was defacing the ballot papers.

Speaking to reporters, AAP leader Malvinder Singh Kang said the Supreme Court observed that what happened in the Chandigarh mayoral elections was a mockery of democracy.

"The entire nation witnessed the working style of the BJP on January 30. It not only disrespected the mandate of the people of Chandigarh but also hurt the faith of all citizens in our democracy," Kang said.

Referring to the top court's observations, Kang said it has restored the faith of the people in democracy and the judicial system.

"It is a tight slap on the face of the BJP," he added.

"People will remember this and will give the BJP a befitting reply in the general election," Kang, the chief spokesperson of the AAP's Punjab unit, said.

Senior Congress leader Pawan Bansal also hailed the top court's observations and said it was the victory of truth.

"When we made the allegations, the BJP was claiming to be clean. Now, where is the BJP's integrity? The BJP conspired to win the mayoral elections by undermining democratic values, which was first exposed in the people's court, and now in the court of law. The BJP should apologise for its actions to the entire country," Bansal said.

HS Lucky, the Congress' Chandigarh unit chief, said the people of the Union Territory had looked to the Supreme Court for justice.

"Today's decision has further emboldened the faith of the common man in the judicial system and the process of law. We have full hope that justice will prevail and the truth will triumph," Lucky said.

Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, the Congress' Punjab chief, said in a post on X, "Hon'ble Supreme Court's observation regarding the botched up Chandigarh mayor elections that it was a mockery of democracy further vindicated the accusations against the @BJP4India of rigging elections."

"Political parties and every citizen of India must force holding of the elections through ballot papers or else BJP will murder our hard-earned democracy," he said. 

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