Punjab zila parishad and panchayat samiti elections | Candidates stopped, papers snatched: Opp says ‘institutional coup’, ‘abuse of power’ by AAP

However, following instructions from State Election Commissioner Raj Kamal Chaudhary, DGP Gaurav Yadav handed over the investigation into the FIR to ADGP (Law and Order) SPS Parmar. “The officer is directed to conduct investigation in accordance with law, and, on completion…report under section 193 BNSS be submitted in the court,” read the DGP’s order.

Thursday was the last day for filing nominations for the polls. Counting of votes will be held on December 17.

Earlier, the opposition Congress and BJP accused the AAP government of indulging in “brutal abuse of power”, the Akali Dal termed it an “institutional coup against democracy at the district level”.

In Gurdaspur’s Dera Baba Nanak, workers of AAP and Congress came face to face and used expletives against each other at the SDM complex. Congress leaders accused the AAP supporters of beating up two nominees and tossing their turbans. Congress MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa’s son Udayveer Randhawa accused AAP MLA Gurdeep Singh Randhawa and his supporters of attempting to stop Congress candidates from filing their nomination papers.

In Patiala’s Ghanaur, former Congress MLA Madan Lal Jalalpur alleged that two party candidates were prevented from filing nominations for the Shambhu block. He alleged that party candidate Joni Devi’s file was snatched and torn, allegedly by AAP workers, at the nomination filing centre.

In Nabha, also in Patiala, former minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot accused officials of allowing AAP workers to tear papers and use force to block rival candidates from filing nominations.

The Punjab BJP too accused the AAP government of “misusing” police machinery fearing defeat in the elections. “Pressure is being exerted on opposition candidates to stop them from filing nomination papers. Not only this, in several constituencies, police have been conducting raids on candidates’ houses, locking their gates, picking up family members, tearing their documents, and blocking roads to obstruct their movement,” alleged Punjab BJP general secretary Anil Sareen.

Earlier in the day, SAD president Badal accused the police of “murdering democracy” by aiding the administration in bending rules and applying pressure tactics to prevent candidates, particularly those from the SAD, from filing their nomination. Referring to the alleged conference call audio clip, Badal said the conversation revealed a “systematic plan to loot the elections”.

The SAD moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court, seeking registration of an FIR against the Patiala SSP and his immediate suspension. The party also filed a complaint with the State Election Commission (SEC), demanding the immediate suspension of the Patiala SSP and those who participated in the alleged conference call.

Akali Dal spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema said, “It is shocking that an IPS officer, whose responsibility is to ensure free and fair elections, uphold the Constitution, and implement the law, is…instructing hi subordinates on how to prevent opposition candidates from filing their nominations”.

Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa said the SEC must take cognisance of the audio clip. “Punjab Police has executed a naked dance of hoologanism in the state to fulfill the policy of ‘Saam daam dand bhed’ of Manish Sisodia,” he said in a post on X.

Despite several attempts, DGP Yadav could not be reached for comments.

Meanwhile, Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring shared a video and claimed that a man allegedly snatched the nomination paper of a woman candidate of the Congress and fled. He alleged that one of the Congress leaders, whose wife was scheduled to file nomination papers, was picked by the area SHO and waylaid at a different place. He was also illegally detained for the entire night, Warring claimed. “Is this honest politics? If AAP Punjab cannot win, snatching papers of the opposition is the only option left,” the Congress leader said.

Warring alleged the ruling AAP was indulging in “brutal abuse of power”. “This only shows the writing on the wall that the AAP has lost ground and realised it too,” he claimed.

Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar said the AAP, which makes false allegations of vote theft, is itself preparing to steal the election by “openly misusing” the police. “While Punjab’s ‘rubber-stamp’ Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is roaming abroad, Manish Sisodia, who openly advocates the policy of ‘saam, daam, dand, bhed’ (by hook or crook), and his AAP have decided not only to loot Punjab’s treasury but also to steal votes,” Jakhar said.

AAP senior spokesperson Neel Garg said the Opposition parties were only levelling allegations as they were able to perceive their loss in the upcoming elections. “They could not even field candidates. They faced huge difficulty as nobody wanted to contest under their allegiance. Now, they want to blame the ruling party for their incapability. It is only face saving that they want to tell the voters that the ruling party did not allow their candidates to file nominations”.

On the issue of the audio clip, Garg said that the police had already stated that this was a fake audio prepared with the help of AI. “All institutions in the AAP regime are running independently. If there was anything wrong, the SEC would have taken action,” he said.

Meanwhile, In Rajasansi (Amritsar), a Congress candidate was brutally beaten and injured in full view of police officers, sustaining serious head injuries, said Congress MLA Pargat Singh. Congress leader Bhagwant Pal Singh Satcher said that in Majitha constituency not a single Congress candidate was allowed to submit papers. “Police officers acted like AAP workers, obstructing the process entirely,” he said. Former CM and Jalandhar MP Charanjit Singh Channi said, “The politics of manipulation and Saam, Daam, Dand, Bhed is in full swing”.

Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira alleged that police in Bholath constituency raided the houses of party workers and harassed their family members to browbeat them.

With inputs from Raakhi Jagga, Kanchan Vasdev