HC declines stay on delimitation of Panchayat wards
Chandigarh PTI
Punjab and Haryana high court on Wednesday declined to stay the ongoing process of delimitation of Panchayat wards being carried out in the state.
Punjab Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa had filed a petition seeking quashing of the ongoing process of delimitation of Panchayat wards alleging grave irregularities, and seeking directions to the state to undertake the process afresh.
A division bench of the high court comprising justice GS Sandhawalia and justice Amol Rattan Singh declined the prayer for the stay and issued notices to the state of Punjab, rural development and Panchayat minister SS Rakhra and 22 deputy commissioners of as many districts, among other respondents to file their replies by April 26.
Bajwa had sought to argue the case personally, but was not
allowed to do so on the ground that he had filed his petition through a counsel.
"Since the petition has been filed through a counsel, it
cannot be argued personally by Bajwa," the bench said, adding, to argue personally he should have filed the petition himself.
Bajwa alleged in the petition that numerous complaints had been received alleging grave irregularities in the process of delimitation of the Panchayat wards.
{{/usCountry}}Bajwa alleged in the petition that numerous complaints had been received alleging grave irregularities in the process of delimitation of the Panchayat wards.
{{/usCountry}}"The irregularities were being committed by the respondents with malafide and insidious designs," the PPCC chief claimed in the petition.
Talking to reporters outside the court later, Bajwa alleged that law and order situation in Punjab under the SAD-BJP regime had deteriorated.
"Punjab, which had gone through dark days (of militancy in 1980s and early 1990s) is again on the boil," he claimed.
He alleged that SAD and BJP, "are fundamentalist parties who have followed the policy of misleading the youth..." Asked to comment on Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal approaching the Prime Minister recently seeking clemency for Khalistani terrorist Devenderpal Singh Bhullar, Bajwa said the Congress party has already made it clear that the decision of the court has to be respected.
"The Akalis are trying to politicise this issue (Bhullar case). We don't believe in doing vote bank politics like them," he said.