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Ludhiana: Warring’s ‘chai pe charcha’ with Pappi’s kin sparks row
After Warring left the house, Vikas Parashar claimed that sensing defeat, the Punjab Congress chief had surrendered before the AAP candidate and asked all Congress workers to vote in the latter’s favour
A political storm erupted on polling day after Punjab Congress chief and Ludhiana candidate Amarinder Singh Raja Warring shared a cup of tea with Congress Sewa Dal leader Sushil Parashar at the latter’s house on Shahpur Road in the presence of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) nominee Ashok Parashar Pappi’s son Vikas Parashar. A photo of Warring did the rounds on social networking sites with Pappi’s son and others.
After Warring left the house, Vikas Parashar claimed that sensing defeat, the Punjab Congress chief had surrendered before the AAP candidate and asked all Congress workers to vote in the latter’s favour.
Reacting sharply, Warring said that sensing their defeat, the AAP and BJP candidates had touched a “new low” for political mileage. He added that Sushil Parashar, who is cousin of AAP candidate Ashok Parashar Pappi, sent him a message that he and his family members were not allowed to cast their votes.
“I went to see him and helped him and his wife to reach the polling booth. On seeing us, Pappi’s son also came. After I left, he made a false statement,” said Warring.
“My stand for the party and party workers is rock-solid. I was the one who caught the illegally stored liquor of AAP candidate on Friday and made the police register a first-information report (FIR). Sensing my win, the AAP and BJP candidates are playing tactics,” he added.
Following the controversy, Sushil Parashar released a video and cleared the air. Parashar said that he lives in a joint family with Pappi and two other cousins. He contacted Warring as he was not allowed to go out to cast his vote as he was the only Congress loyalist in the lane. Warring came to see him and helped him in casting the vote, he said in the video.
As the news went viral, BJP candidate Ravneet Singh Bittu reached there and hit out at Warring and Congress.
“Warring has back-stabbed the Congress by visiting AAP candidate. Warring has surrendered before Pappi and betrayed the Congress workers who worked for the party in this scorching heat,” said Bittu.
“Warring, who is an outsider, left the city in the morning. After returning to the city, he went directly to the house of Pappi and surrendered,” he alleged.
He alleged that Warring was facing allegations of embezzlement in making bodies of buses. Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann have threatened him to open an investigation in the matter, following which the PPCC president has bowed down, Bittu added.
