E-Paper
Ruckus in House as BJP, AAP councillors trade barbs
Two BJP councillors alleged that they are being threatened to be framed in fake cases and their mobile phones are being tapped
A heated confrontation broke out between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) during the general House of the municipal corporation (MC) on Friday over the phone tapping allegations.
Two BJP councillors alleged that they are being threatened to be framed in fake cases and their mobile phones are being tapped. BJP councillor Saurabh Joshi and Kanawarjit Singh Rana said, “Our mobile phones are being tapped, some unknown people are doing recce of our houses and following our movement, vigilance is keeping an eye on us, we are receiving phone calls from unidentified people who are threatening us to implicate false police cases against us in Punjab, and we are continuously under threat.”
“BJP councillors, especially we both, are being targeted for speaking in the favour of the public in the House,” Joshi said.
“If the AAP government thinks that they can track us and suppress our voice, let me say that it will never happen. Also, I will mention that the mobile phones of mayor Kuldeep Kumar Dhalor are also being tapped as his party (AAP) suspects that he will soon change his affiliation,” said Rana.
The allegations by BJP councillors resulted in huge uproar in the House. “If you are feeling threatened, you should have come to me or complain through proper channel”, mayor Dhalor said, while refuting the allegations, adding, “We (AAP) are not free for doing your recce.”
Joshi had clarified that he has already submitted a complaint regarding this matter to UT adviser Rajeev Verma.
AAP councillor Yogesh Dhingra said, “BJP is in power in Centre and they are feeling threatened. Even AAP’s lady councillors are brave enough and never felt threatened under your rule.” The arguments between both the parties had started when BJP councillor Saurabh Joshi had submitted a written representation to the Punjab governor and UT administrator Banwari Lal Purohit, accusing the mayor of arbitrary, dictatorial and barbaric conduct. The letter was written on July 13, few days after the last house meeting, where BJP councillors were being forcibly taken out by marshals and Joshi had suffered severe injury on his ribcage and had to be rushed for emergency medical treatment.
The House of the Chandigarh MC on Friday approved opening the bookings for Rani Laxmi Bai Mahila Bhawan in city’s Sector 38 for the public, with slashed rates. The House also decided not to e-auction the 61 taxi stands of the city and instead extended the tenure of the existing operators by five years on the same charges.
The House also decided to give time of one more year to nine defaulter operators for clearing their pending dues.
