Chandigarh, May 27 (PTI) Punjab AAP president slammed Union Minister and BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu on Wednesday, accusing him of ‘gundagardi’ (hooliganism) and uttering objectionable words against police personnel in Dhuri.
The AAP leader, Aman Arora, who is also the Cabinet minister, said his party strongly condemned Bittu’s behaviour.
On Tuesday, Bittu — the Minister of State for Railways — had heated exchanges with policemen in Sangrur’s Dhuri after the police detained BJP leader Onkar Singh for campaigning during the mandatory election “silent period.” Bittu was demanding Singh’s release.
Bittu, who is also the Minister of State for Food Processing Industries, was stopped by the police from reaching Dhuri to secure Singh’s release. Bittu accused the AAP government of misusing state machinery.
Polling for the Punjab civic polls was held on Tuesday.
Addressing the media here on Wednesday, Cabinet Minister and senior AAP leader Arora lashed out at Bittu, alleging that he indulged in ‘gundagardi’.
Calling Bittu’s behaviour ‘shameless’, Arora said that indulgence of such a senior leader of a national party in ‘gundagardi’ is intolerable.
Arora said that according to the rules, no outsider can be there after the poll campaign ends. But despite that, Singh was there.
“When policemen were doing their duty and trying to make him (Bittu) understand not to indulge in highhandedness, he was calling a senior Superintendent of Police rank officer a ‘gunda’,” Arora said.
Upon being asked whether the Punjab government will take any action against Bittu, Arora said the chief minister will decide whether to take action or not.
Replying to a question on the Supreme Court upholding the power of the Election Commission to conduct a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Arora said he has not heard about it yet.
However, he said, “I had earlier said that we are not afraid of SIR or such exercise. We have apprehension about the intention of the ECI, which is conducting the SIR. If the ECI works like a wing of the BJP, then the entire such exercise becomes meaningless. If this exercise becomes meaningless, then no objective is left behind conducting the SIR. What happened in West Bengal, where 91 lakh votes were deleted? He further said, “If the SC gave its approval, we agree to it, we respect the SC.” The SC on Wednesday upheld the power of the Election Commission to conduct the SIR, saying the exercise “advances the constitutional imperative of free and fair elections”. PTI CHS SHS SHS
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