HC notice to Chandumajra on plea seeking disqualification
The Punjab and Haryana high court on Tuesday issued a notice of motion to Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) member of Parliament (MP) from Anandpur Sahib Prem Singh Chandumajra on an election petition seeking his disqualification on the grounds of issuing election advertisements on television channels seeking votes in the name of religion and not declaring the exact amount spent on advertisements.
The Punjab and Haryana high court on Tuesday issued a notice of motion to Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) member of Parliament (MP) from Anandpur Sahib Prem Singh Chandumajra on an election petition seeking his disqualification on the grounds of issuing election advertisements on television channels seeking votes in the name of religion and not declaring the exact amount spent on advertisements.
Rupnagar resident Harbhag Singh has challenged Chandumajra’s election, on which the court has directed the latter to file his reply by August 27. The petitioner alleged that Chandumajra had shown an amount of Rs 58.69 lakh only as his election expenditure but had not included Rs 8 lakh spent on advertisements.
The petitioner has alleged that Chandumajra released advertisements by using religious symbols, Sikh religious places and the national flag to appeal to Sikh voters of Anandpur Sahib parliamentary constituency to vote for him in the name of religion.
As per the allegations, advertisements were aired on some TV channels repeatedly during the election campaign, right from the filing of nomination papers on April 7 till the end of the campaign on April 28. It has been alleged that Chandumajra committed a corrupt practice as defined under Section 123 (3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and should be disqualified as an MP.