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Punjab Congress leader Warring accuses AAP government of patronising gangsters to win elections

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring warned the AAP government over promoting anarchy and bloodshed by patronising gangsters to win elections. He also accused AAP of following a strategy of manipulation and coercion, citing former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodias saam, daam, dand, bhed approach. Warring warned that AAP turned police officers into `yesmen. We will neither forget nor forgive, he made it categorically clear to all such officers. He said AAPs reluctance to hold Zila Parishad and Block Samiti elections showed that they feared defeat. Notably, Congress candidates faced intimidation and obstacles in filing nominations, sparking fears that their papers might be rejected during scrutiny due to AAPs grip on the election machinery. He said that the ruling party was scared and panic-stricken of losing the elections as it had already realised that the ground had slipped from beneath its feet. He added that it was only after the intervention of the court that the government was forced to hold the elections. He gave graphic details from across the state about how the Congress candidates for the Zila Parishad and Block Samiti elections were intimidated and prevented from filing their nomination papers. He expressed strong apprehensions that the nomination papers of even those who have somehow managed to file might get rejected at the time of scrutiny, as the ruling party has completely hijacked the election machinery. Replying to a question on the purported audio clip whereby the SSP Patiala is allegedly issuing directions to his subordinates as to how to prevent Opposition candidates from reaching the venue of filing nomination papers, Warring said, the matter must be investigated. He said, if found true, such officers must be dismissed from the services. Most of the SSPs, the DSPs heading police subdivisions and the SHOs and those heading police posts have completely surrendered themselves to the AAP and turned into its errand boys, he said in a scathing attack against the police partiality. Warring asserted that all such officers will be held accountable under the law once the government changes. He said, if a few police officials believe that they will get away in the next regime by doing the same thing for the party in power, then they are mistaken. This must end, and we will end it, he asserted. He denied that Congress patronised gangsters, challenging AAP to explain their own record. Warring highlighted that AAP is bringing gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria from the Assam jail for Tarn Tarans byelection.