Mayoral poll: Congress-AAP leaders stage protest at Chandigarh's Sector 17

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 31

A day after the mayoral polls, AAP and the Congress held a joint protest near the Sector 17 police station before lodging a complaint with the police against the BJP and presiding officer Anil Masih.

Councillors of both parties were also present there. The protesters started marching towards the police station from Hotel Shivalikview, but were stopped at the barricades by the police.

Pawan Kumar Bansal, former UT MP, lashed out at presiding officer Anil Masih for allegedly tampering with the ballot papers of eight councillors to render these invalid at the behest of the BJP.

City Congress president HS Lucky alleged, “The Chandigarh Congress will continue its protests against the BJP for killing democracy in Chandigarh. If the BJP finds itself losing an election, it uses illegal and anti-democratic means to gain victory. Such an attitude of the BJP will finish democracy in the country.”

Former AAP president Prem Garg alleged it was quite clear in the video that Masih tampered with the votes. “We have come to seek action against him and expose the BJP,” he added.

There was a scuffle between the police and protesters as the councillors tried to enter the police station to lodge the complaint. The complaint, filed on behalf of the Congress-AAP alliance, alleges Masih has committed forgery by tampering with the ballot papers to render eight votes invalid. Hence, a case under criminal law should be registered against him. Meanwhile, leaders of the Youth Congress, who were squatting outside the MC office in protest, were removed by the police. Party president Manoj Lubana was whisked away in a police vehicle. He was released later.

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