MLA Pargat visits MC office, lodges protest with Mayor, Commissioner

Pargat Singh on Thursday reached the office of the Municipal Corporation (MC) along with his councillors and Congress leaders to raise objections over the installation of foundation and inauguration stones in an unconstitutional manner.

He met Mayor Vineet Dhir and Municipal Commissioner Sandeep Rishi and lodged a strong protest against the violation of official protocol concerning such ceremonies. Pargat Singh remarked that the leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), who had earlier claimed they would not lay foundation stones after coming to power, were now going so far as to inscribe names of their relatives on them.

He said that such dirty and cheap politics on these stones must stop immediately. The MLA warned the Mayor and the Municipal Commissioner that if the foundation and inauguration stones were not laid in accordance with official protocol, he would raise the matter on the floor of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha. He further cautioned that the Commissioner would have to respond before the Privilege Committee. Pargat Singh asserted that the politicisation of these stones must end and only the names of the sitting MLA and elected councillors should appear on them — not of defeated candidates, constituency in-charges, or their relatives.

Calling the issue unacceptable, Pargat Singh presented banners and photographic evidence before the Mayor and the Commissioner showing how Municipal Corporation officials and AAP functionaries had blatantly violated protocol. He further alleged that instead of supervising work themselves, officials were using contractors as tools to execute these politically motivated works, including laying stones on roads in an improper manner. He warned that if this practice was not stopped immediately, the Congress would hold strong protest demonstrations on streets.

Among those present on the occasion were former District Congress (Urban) president and councillor Balraj Thakur, councillor Pawan Kumar, senior Congress leader Manmohan Singh and sports promoter Surinder Singh Bhapa.