CM demands immediate senate polls in Punjab University
Bhagwant Singh Mann writes to Vice-President of India Jagdeep Dhankar seeking his intervention in the matter.
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Friday demanded immediate transfer of all state intelligence officials, including the top brass for “indulging in electoral malpractices to provide illegal, illegitimate and immoral help to the ruling Congress party”.
Addressing a Press conference today, principal advisor to SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, Harcharan Singh Bains said the party had filed a complaint with Election Commission (EC) detailing how intelligence wing of the Punjab Police was used by the Congress by placing it at the disposal of it a private agency to illegally acquire inputs about prospective candidates of Opposition parties and ways to threaten them to withdraw from elections.
He said that SAD had given a detailed account of the working of intelligence wing officials with private agency ‘MovDekPOLITICO’ in securing inputs. Bains said that party has told the EC the continued presence of these officers on active duty would make a free and fair poll impossible.
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Apart from the fact that inaction on the part of EC would bring its own role as an impartial authority under a thick cloud of suspicion, it will also embolden other officers and the entire government machinery to continue to help the ruling party in reckless and fearless abandon.
“Electoral process in the state would be reduced to a joke. Inviting international ridicule against the world’s largest democracy. All this amounts to a massive electoral malpractice requiring immediate intervention by the EC. He said that we have no doubt that you will act expeditiously on our request as every minute that passes without would mock democracy and the role of the EC would lose all credibility in Punjab,” he said.
In its complaint party has said the intelligence wing of Punjab Police, which is mandated to provide sensitive inputs to help in maintenance of law and order and check threats to peace, indulged in dubious activities through brazen abuse of authority to further the cause of Congress in the impending Assembly elections with the motive of bringing it back to power.
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