The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Thursday made an appeal the Election Commission (EC) to register a case against all Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislators and senior leaders for allegedly rigging the bypoll for Jalandhar Lok Sabha constituency on Wednesday.
Addressing a press conference here, SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia demanded action also against Punjab Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Sibin C as well as the Jalandhar deputy commissioner and the Jalandhar rural senior superintendent of police Mukhwinder Singh Bhullar for colluding with AAP to help its candidate in the bypoll.
Majithia alleged the Punjab CEO had willfully not taken any action against the AAP legislators and leaders. He said the reason for this was the fact that Sibin C was being probed by the Vigilance Bureau in the Rs 700 crore Punjab State Industrial Development Corporation plot bifurcation scam.
“This is why Sibin C has slept over complaints made by the opposition and has not ordered the arrest of any of the AAP legislators,” the SAD leader alleged.
Majithia said AAP legislators who had been caught in Jalandhar on the polling day or had been photographed there included Dalbir Singh Tong, Daljit Singh Grewal, Jasbir Sandhu, Gurpreet Gogi, Amolak Singh, Madan Lal Bagga and Ajay Gupta.
The SAD leader said the lack of control on the election process by the CEO had encouraged AAP to indulge in goondaism and even take over polling booths.
“Videography inside booths was also not done and an AAP leader and minister Inderbir Singh Nijher loyalist Gaurav Montu was even caught by SAD-BSP candidate Dr Sukhwinder Sukhi while in possession of seals meant for ballot boxes,” he added.
Majithia said SSP Mukhwinder Bhullar tried to prevail upon SAD workers to let Montu go free, indicating the entire administration was under the influence of the AAP government. He also cited the indifference of deputy commissioner Jaspreet Singh towards complaints filed by the Opposition in this regard.
The SAD leader also targeted the CEO for failing to take action against chief minister Bhagwant Mann who continued to appeal to voters to cast votes in favour of AAP on polling day.