A delegation of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), led by met Leader of Opposition (LoP), Harpal Singh Cheema, met chief electoral officer (CEO) of Punjab and submitted a complaint against sitting Punjab minister Vijay Inder Singla, for alleged indulgence in the model code of conduct to influencing voters of Sangrur Parliamentary Constituency, openly misusing his official position.The delegation, through the written complaint, informed the CEO that the minister, who was a sitting MLA from and a prospective Lok Sabha candidate from Sangrur, misused his official position even as the model code of conduct had already in force since March 10, making it mandatory for the state and central governments and the party candidates to stay away from making announcements in any shape with a view to alluring voters.In the complaint to the CEO, Cheema said that the ruling Congress government in the state had thrown the model code of conduct to the winds and its ministers indulging in malpractices to woo voters. He said in the complaint that the recent example was that of Sangrur MLA and PWD minister in Punjab cabinet, Vijay Inder Singla, who, in blatant violation of the code of conduct, tried to induce voters in the Constituency by splurging funds worth crores for the repairs/maintenance of government schools. He alleged that the government, which had done nothing to improve the conditions of government-run schools in the state during its 2-year term, suddenly woke up to the cause, simply to entice voters ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.
He accused the government for making a departure from the set electoral parameters with an eye on the upcoming Parliamentary elections as Singla was also the contender for the Lok Sabha ticket of Congress Party from Sangrur.Referring to a report published dated March 17, 2019, Cheema said that the report proved the point that Singla had been indulging in the alleged disbursement of funds to the tune of crores of rupees, he alleged.Cheema, through the complaint, said that the news paper report provided enough evidence that the government and the staff had been instructed by those at the helm to coordinate Singla to in the disbursement of the funds.The AAP leader further added that such blatant acts of violations proved beyond doubt the connivance of the state government with the staff coercing people of the state to fall in the trap by resorting to arm twisting methods used by the ruling party.He said that if the violations of the model code of conduct, Cheema said, were not nipped in the bud, more serious violations by the ruling government could not be ruled out.The delegation has demanded that a strict action must be taken against Vijay Inder Singla, MLA, Sangrur, currently PWD Minister in Punjab cabinet for his indulgence in the flagrant violation of the model code of conduct and sanctioning the funds illegally to influence the voters in the Sangrur Parliamentary Constituency, from where he is a likely Congress candidate for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.