Congress to move court over misuse of power by Punjab govt

Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, on Monday said the party would move court against the alleged malpractices in the panchayat elections.

Addressing a press conference, he said there were blatant malpractices and misuse of power by AAP, systematically undermining the democratic process to secure its grip on power.

“The AAP had been delaying the panchayat elections in favour of their own candidates. The attack on former MLA Kulbir Zira and DC Gurdaspur’s refusal to entertain Congress leaders speaks about the truth,” said the PPCC chief. He said that the party had made a list of defaulting officers in civil and police administration.

Leader of Opposition (LoP), Partap Singh Bajwa, who accompanied the PPCC chief, questioned the AAP government’s ability to maintain law and order during the ongoing panchayat elections. Pointing out that the CM holds the additional charge of the Home Department, Bajwa said he had failed to ensure a peaceful electoral process, leading to widespread violence across rural Punjab.

He said the death of a woman from Amritsar, who was affiliated with the Congress, and the murder of AAP leader Rajwinder Singh from Patti block, Tarn Taran district, speak of the law and order situation in the state.

He expressed concern over reports of gangsters intimidating candidates from Opposition parties, preventing them from filing nominations for the post of sarpanch.