Sheetal Angural claims poll code violation, apprehends ‘outsider’ AAP worker

Aparna Banerji

Jalandhar, July 10

After his high-decibel speeches and antics at Babu Jagjivan Ram Chowk days back in which he threatened to release “audio evidence” against AAP MLA Raman Arora and the CM’s family, which are yet to come out in public domain, BJP leader Sheetal Angural today apprehended an AAP worker at a booth in Model House alleging that he was an “outsider” from Bathinda who had been caught by the BJP sitting at a booth.

Alleging that the presence of an outsider at a booth was a violation of the election code of conduct, the BJP also lodged a complaint with the police. A formal FIR was yet to be registered at the time of filing this report as the police maintained that a written complaint was not received. The BJP though apprehended the worker – Bathinda AAP youth president Amardeep Singh Rajan – and he was handed over to the Bhargo Camp police, which briefly detained him but then let him off. In a FB live video on the polling day, Sheetal Angural was seen reprimanding and threatening the AAP worker as another party worker held him by his ‘kara’ throughout the 5 minute 22 seconds long video. While Angural spoke agitatedly, the AAP worker’s disposition remained congenial throughout the tirade. The incident happened near a polling booth at Model House. In his FB video, Angural was also seen calling the Jalandhar Police Commissioner. The BJP alleged that three ‘outsiders’ were seen sitting at the AAP booth, of whom one fled.

In the video, Angural was heard saying in Punjabi to the worker, at times very disparagingly, “The AAP did not get workers. What did the party give to the state? The people of Punjab gave you 92 MLAs but you looted them.”

Throughout the day, Angural shared various videos with claims of “outsiders”, empty booths or lack of booths for AAP. Notably, it isn’t the first time that Angural has targeted the AAP on the polling day. During the recently held Lok Sabha elections, Angural had shared a video from the Jalandhar West area, showing an AAP booth as empty.

During the campaign, Angural had also once visited the Municipal Corporation office at Babrik Chowk alleging his posters had been torn by AAP workers. However, unlike his charges against AAP MLA Raman Arora, which found support from senior BJP leadership, the party top brass’ response to his charges on other occasions has been rather muted. Angural has also so far failed to release the promised controversial “audios” even though he first said he would do so on July 10, then said he would do so after the bypoll.

Meanwhile, Police Commissioner Swapan Sharma said: “So far, there has been no complaint. No such AAP worker has been arrested.”

Formal FIR yet to be registered

A formal FIR was yet to be registered at the time of filing this report as the police maintained that a written complaint was not received. The BJP though apprehended the worker – Bathinda AAP youth president Amardeep Singh Rajan – and he was handed over to the Bhargo Camp police, which briefly detained him but then let him off.