Three separate complaints have been lodged in Punjab against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal for allegedly violating the model code of conduct. The 117-member Punjab assembly goes to the polls on Sunday.
In an order issued on the eve of voting, Punjab’s chief electoral officer directed the registration of two separate FIRs in Mohali after the AAP and the SAD lodged complaints against each other.
A police case has been filed against Kejriwal and the AAP for a video which the poll body said makes “false and frivolous allegations against other parties” and violates the poll code.
“It is submitted that Model Code of Conduct has been enforced in the State of Punjab. In the light of MCC no party can put any objectionable videos targeting particular leader of any prevalent handles on internet,” said the chief electoral officer in Punjab.
The complaint against Kejriwal was made by Akali Dal’s vice president Arshdeep Singh, who raised objections to the video.
The party said the video “intended to malign the image of Shiromani Akali Dal and other political parties in the eyes of general public”.
{{/usCountry}}The party said the video “intended to malign the image of Shiromani Akali Dal and other political parties in the eyes of general public”.
{{/usCountry}}Acting on a counter complaint by the AAP, the poll body charged Sukhbir Singh Badal for violating the model code of conduct.
The AAP complaint alleged that Badal circulated a video from his official Facebook page which “consist of his vote appeal with an intent to misguide voters” after the campaigning period had ended.
Earlier in the day, Channi and Congress candidate Sidhu Moosewala from Mansa seat were booked for violating the model code of conduct.
Channi had visited a temple in Mansa and then carried out a door-to-door campaign, allegedly after the 6 pm electioneering deadline on Friday, the last day for campaigning.
An FIR in this regard was lodged against them by AAP candidate Vijay Singla from Mansa said.
Harjinder Singh, Sub-Divisional Magistrate and returning officer, Mansa, told news agency ANI, “As soon as I got the information that the CM is still campaigning in Mansa, I reached the spot. But CM had already left by then. I enquired with the locals if any campaigning was done by him but they said that the CM had gone to the Gurudwara and a temple to offer prayers.”
CM Channi on Friday had gone to Mansa to campaign for Moosewala. They have been booked under section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the IPC, the FIR said.