The Punjab Congress on Sunday sought filing of a criminal case against actor-turned-politician Vinod Khanna and one of his party colleagues for allegedly posting “highly inflammatory and provocative” hate message on social media.
Punjab Congress Election Committee (legal) chairman Surjit Singh Swaich, in a complaint filed with the Election Commission, sought “swift and stern” action against Gurdaspur candidate Vinod Khanna and Pathankot unit vice-president of BJP’s Yuva Morcha Sanjay Sharma.
The party alleged that Khanna and Sharma colluded in sending “highly inflammatory and provocative hate message” through WhatsApp, which is deliberately designed and intended to promote, incite, instigate and spread feelings of enmity, hatred and communal tension on the grounds of religion for the furtherance of election prospects of Khanna.
“A hate message has been sent from mobile phone by Sharma with the consent and connivance of Khanna,” the complainant alleged, while also seeking “disqualification” of Khanna from contesting polls. Three-time BJP MP Khanna is in the fray against Punjab Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa, the sitting MP.
“The aforesaid illegal and sordid activity of Vinod Khanna and Sanjay Sharma and their other persons involved therein, at the behest and instance of Vinod Khanna, is not only a threat to the unity and integrity of the nation but is also a grave criminal offence as defined under Sections 153A, 153B, 295A and 505(2) of Indian Penal Code and provisions of Information Technology Act and an electoral offence under Section 125 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, besides being a corrupt practice under Section 123 (3A) of the said Act and gross violation of the Model Code of Conduct,” read the complaint.
Khanna questions Bajwa’s ‘absence’ from Gurdaspur
Gurdaspur: Claiming an anti-Congress wave in Gurdaspur, SAD-BJP combine candidate Vinod Khanna on Sunday alleged that sitting Congress MP and state party chief Partap Singh Bajwa had failed to solve problems of the people owing to his constant absence from the constituency.
Taking on his Congress rival, Khanna said: “The anti-incumbency wave against Bajwa is no fiction. People have not seen him here at all. They are eager to know where their MP was when they were grappling with their woes.”
A Bollywood yesteryear star-turned-three-time former MP, while addressing a string of election meetings in Gurdaspur, Pathankot and Batala, asked his rival where he had utilised his Member of Parliament local Area Development fund.
“A local area development fund of Rs 5 crore is given to an MP every year. People want to know where the money has disappeared,” the former BJP MP said. He alleged that Gurdaspur had been deprived of growth and development as Bajwa had failed to get any Central scheme sanctioned for the area… he even failed to bring any industry, including the rail coach factory, to the area. The SAD-BJP candidate added that nearly 8.2 per cent of the unemployed youths in Punjab were from Gurdaspur region. Khanna said, if elected an MP from Gurdaspur, his key priority would be to ensure growth, development and prosperity in the region.
Chandumajra denies Rauni incident
Mohali: SAD-BJP combine candidate from Sri Anandpur Sahib constituency Prof Prem Singh Chandumajra on Sunday contradicted news item appearing in a section of the press about minor altercation between two Akali groups at village Rauni by terming it as “baseless, mischievous and far from the truth”.
Chandumajra, in a statement, said that “petty incident of argument between two Akali groups has been exaggerated and sensationalised with the aim to harm my election campaign and prospectus”.
He said that one Akali group had not come to the election rally organized by the other in the village few days back and when he reached the venue along with the annoyed group, some youth of the organising group protested and argued with him, Chandumajra explained. “However, the differences were sorted out at my intervention”, he added. “I was astonished to read the news item in some of the newspapers which was totally false, unjustified and bad in taste. Reporters should be objective and verify the facts before filling their stories,” he added.
Rajput spiritual head issues diktat in favour of Bajwa
Pathankot: Jodhpur-based spiritual head of Rajput community Sri Sri 1008 Dr Swami Shivswaroopanand Saraswati Ji Maharaj on Sunday issued directive to the community to vote for the Congress candidate from Gurdaspur parliamentary seat Partap Singh Bajwa. The development assumes significance as the community has about 2 lakh votes in Gurdaspur. Swami alleged that Rajput’s were neglected by every political party and no representation was given to any local Rajput leader for so long.