UT Admn8217;s move on Mayor flayed

CHANDIGARH, Oct 1: Various political parties have condemned the Chandigarh Administration8217;s move seeking withdrawal of criminal case of theft and assault against BJP leader and mayor Gian Chand Gupta. In a joint press release issued here yesterday, leaders of various political parties including the Congress, Samajwadi Janata Party, Janata Party, Samajwadi Party and CPI, have termed the Administration8217;s move as quot;discriminatoryquot; and done under quot;political pressurequot;.

Congress general secretary Subhash Chawla, SJP president Devinder Singh Babla, SP president Shivi Jaiswal, Janata Party president Ajay Jagga and CPI secretary Sohan Lal Bansal have said that the Administration was adopting a discriminatory policy and added that it should follow a uniform policy with regard to political cases.

The leaders said the Administration should withdraw all cases against political leaders or the move will become violative of Article 14 of the Constitution and the Administration8217;s action would mean that it was playing hand-in-glove with the BJP.

In another statement, Chandigarh Youth Congress president Vijaypal Singh Dimpy and general secretary Amarjit Singh Gujral have also criticised the Administration8217;s move on withdrawing the criminal case against the mayor.