Chandigarh's political landscape has been thrown into turmoil ahead of the crucial mayoral elections, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) launching sharp attacks on the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government. The opposition parties have accused the AAP of engaging in political vendetta and misusing state machinery to harass opponents.
Protest Outside CM Residence Alleges Authoritarianism
The BJP's Chandigarh unit staged a significant demonstration outside the residence of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Leading the protest, BJP Chandigarh president Jitendra Pal Malhotra condemned what he termed the AAP government's "authoritarianism, misuse of power, and political vendetta." The protest saw the participation of senior party leaders, including vice-presidents Devender Babla, Bharat Kumar, and Indira Singh, general secretaries Ramveer Bhatti and Sanjeev Rana, and Chandigarh Mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla.
The immediate trigger for the protest was the alleged illegal detention of Komal Sharma, the sister-in-law of Ward No. 4 councillor Suman Sharma. Councillor Suman Sharma had recently switched allegiance from the AAP to the BJP, a move that has since sparked controversy.
A "Well-Planned Conspiracy" and Alleged Intimidation
Jitendra Pal Malhotra outlined a sequence of events that the BJP claims exposes a concerted effort to intimidate its members. He alleged that after Suman Sharma joined the BJP, she faced continuous pressure from AAP leaders to return to the party. Furthermore, he claimed that Ward No. 16 councillor Poonam was openly threatened by AAP councillors to quit the BJP.
Detailing the case of Komal Sharma, Malhotra alleged a "well-planned conspiracy." He stated that an FIR was registered against her at the Sohana police station around 10:30 pm. Komal Sharma, who works on a contractual basis in the Water Supply Department in Sector 27, Punjab, was then allegedly forcibly picked up from her residence by Punjab Police around 7 am, without informing the local police station.
"The manner in which a woman was allegedly dragged out of her house is shameful," Malhotra said, adding that it exposed the "hollow claims" of the AAP government regarding women's safety and dignity.
SAD Joins Condemnation, Demands Anti-Defection Law
The Shiromani Akali Dal echoed the BJP's allegations, strongly criticising the AAP government's actions. SAD Chandigarh president Charanjit Singh Villy slammed the arrest as politically motivated. In a press note, Villy asserted that the Punjab Police acted against the councillor's sister-in-law under the instructions of the Punjab government.
Villy stated that the timing and manner of the arrest raise serious questions about the political intent of the AAP government. "The state machinery is being misused to harass and intimidate political opponents and their families, which is against democratic values and the rule of law," he alleged.
The SAD leader went a step further, accusing the Punjab government of acting at the behest of senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia, who had publicly advocated the policy of "Saam, Daam, Dand, Bhed" (persuasion, price, punishment, and division). Villy said such an endorsement of pressure tactics reveals the true nature of AAP's politics.
Villy demanded that the Chandigarh Administrator immediately enforce the Anti-Defection Law to curb political horse-trading and protect the city's democratic institutions. He expressed dismay that Chandigarh's reputation was once again being tarnished by unethical political practices.
Both parties issued a stern warning that the politics of intimidation and vendetta would not be tolerated. They appealed to constitutional authorities to take serious note of the matter and demanded the impartial implementation of the law, free from political bias.
