Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Tuesday urged Punjab Governor VP Singh Badnore to dismiss the state Cooperation Minister Sukhjinder Randhawa for indulging in “unconstitutional activity” by openly announcing his intent to rig the forthcoming panchayat elections by not allowing any anti-Congress voter to exercise his franchise.
“Randhawa had recently announced at a public rally that only Congress voters would be allowed to decide the outcome of panchayat elections and all others, including Akalis, would be stopped from entering polling booths,” pointed former minister and SAD spokesman Daljit Singh Cheema.
Describing it as “against the essence of the Constitution as well as Panchayati Raj Act”, Cheema said that the SAD urged the Governor to take swift action against the Minister to restore people’s faith in the democratic process.
Cheema also asked the State Election Commission (SEC) to wake up from its slumber and take needed steps to stop the ‘murder of democracy’ in the State. “The SEC failed to take appropriate measures due to which there was large scale intimidation, violence and rigging in elections to local bodies and panchayat samiti and zila parishad elections,” he said.
“It seems the Congress party has been further emboldened and this is why Randhawa has now decided to deny Akali voters the right to exercise their franchise and openly bragged about the same in the presence of Pradesh Congress president Sunil Jakhar. SEC needs to redeem itself by ordering immediate registration of a criminal case against Randhawa as well as his arrest. Only this will prevent Congressmen from taking the law in their own hands,” demanded Cheema.
Challenging the poll panel, Cheema said that in case the same was not done, the SEC should simply announce that it is incapable of holding free and fair elections and recommend that the Congress party nominate its candidates to village panchayats instead of going through the rigmarole of holding elections.
“Randhawa’s statement had made it clear that the Congress party has evolved a strategy to rig elections and that this would be replicated across the State,” said Cheema while asking the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh to clarify whether “this conspiracy to capture the panchayat elections by use of illegal means had his blessings”.
“If not, the Chief Minister should tell the people what action he was taking against Randhawa,” he asked.
The SAD leader also asked Congress national president Rahul Gandhi to disclose why he was remaining silent on this most sensitive issue of grass root democracy.