The Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat and former Chief Minister BS Koshyari who is the BJP candidate from Nainital lok Sabha seat in the forthcoming General elections have entered into a secret understanding and colluded with some Government officials to arrest noted poet and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate from Nainital BS Cheema.
The State Convener of AAP, HC Arya, made these allegations while talking with The Pioneer over phone on Wednesday. Arya said that the growing popularity of AAP and Cheema forced the BJP and Congress to hatch a
conspiracy which manifested on April 20, when a police officer first tore the permission letter from the vehicle of Cheema in presence of some supporters of the BJP and Congress at Rudrapur and then filed a case of violation of code of conduct.
He said that when Cheema protested against the police action and sat on a Dharna along with his supporters he was detained unconstitutionally by the police. Arya said that people of Uttarakhand have realised the follies of both the Congress and BJP and they are determined to teach these parties a lesson.
The AAP leaders have upped their ante of protest against the arrest of BS Cheema on Wednesday a party delegation met the State Chief Electoral Officer Radha Raturi and submitted a memorandum.
The State secretary of AAP NN Pandey, the party candidate from Tehri lok Sabha Anup Nautiyal, Ranveer Choudhary and district President Sanjay Bhatt were part of the delegation. These leaders demanded that either Cheema should immediately be released or the elections in Nainital be postponed. Raturi told the delegation that she has ordered an inquiry in the matter.
The delegation also met Additional Director General of Police RS Meena on the issue. Meena informed them that a senior police officer of the rank of Inspector General (IG) would look into the matter.
In Nainital too the party workers submitted a memorandum to the election officer and demanded that the fabricated cases against Cheema should immediately be withdrawn. They also threatened to start a massive agitation if their demand is not heeded. BS Cheema was arrested along with many AAP supporters on April 20 on violation of model code of Conduct. BS Cheema and two other party workers Pratap Singh and Pankaj Pandey refused to seek bail and were sent to Haldwani jail.