HIGH DRAMA was witnessed on Thursday after the area councillor of Sector 48 Davesh Moudgil found that another councillor had signed in his place at an event of city BJP chief Sanjay Tandon to avail ‘free of cost booking’ at the community centre there, in violation of the bylaws.
After a hue and cry by the association, the officer on special duty (OSD) of the Municipal Corporation had to cancel the booking. But Tandon got the booking of the same community centre done afresh.
A blood donation camp was scheduled to be held on April 19 at the community centre of Sector 48-C at 9 am. The area councillor of the ward is Davesh Moudgil, who is close to former MP and BJP leader Satya Pal Jain.
Story continues below this ad
As per norms, if a booking has to be done free of cost, the area councillor or mayor or commissioner has to recommend it and sign on the form. But instead of Moudgil, councillor Gurpreet Dhillon, who represents Ward No 21, signed.
After the booking on Dhillon’s signatures was cancelled, a fresh booking of the same community centre was got done by Tandon on Mayor Rajesh Kalia’s recommendation. The event will be taking place at the same venue.
The Residents’ Welfare Association of Sector 48 has now sent a written complaint to the UT Chief Electoral Officer, UT Administrator V P Singh Badnore and Election Commission of India.
“We may point out that so-called blood donation camp is a political function which is aimed at gaining political mileage in the coming Lok Sabha elections. Why did he not get the recommendation of area councillor concerned and why did he get the recommendation from an outsider councillor? It speaks volumes about respect and regard he has for law of the land,” the complaint specified.
Story continues below this ad
It was also stated that “Sanjay Tandon is a known defaulter and offender of the instructions of the Election Commission of India”.
Talking to Chandigarh Newsline, Tandon said, “Every year, my NGO Competent Foundation holds this blood donation camp twice — one on Hanuman Jayanti and the other on my birthday. I told Gurpreet to get a community centre in his ward booked but it wasn’t available. Somehow he got the Sector 48 one booked. I called up the area councillor (Moudgil) at least 15 times but he did not take my call.”
Tandon added, “So now, mayor was asked to give the recommendation. The event has to take place. Invitations to around 500 people have gone and the camp is always scheduled on Hanuman Jayanti.”
Hina Rohtaki is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express, Chandigarh. She covers Chandigarh administration and other cross beats. In this field for over a decade now, she has also received the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award by the President of India in January 2020. She tweets @HinaRohtaki ... Read More