Politics · India Bureau
AAP protests in Chandigarh over alleged electoral irregularities, Sisodia detained
Punjab's ruling Aam Aadmi Party staged a demonstration at the state electoral office on Saturday, alleging vote theft and criticizing the BJP-led central government. Senior party figures including former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia were subsequently detained by police.
LSN India ·
The Aam Aadmi Party organised a protest in Chandigarh against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Saturday, intensifying its accusations of electoral malpractice ahead of planned demonstrations in the national capital. Led by Sisodia and Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, AAP workers and leaders gathered near the office of the Punjab chief electoral officer to voice their grievances against the BJP-led Union government.
Protesters carried placards reading 'Vote Chhor Gaddi Chhor' (Vote Thief, Throne Thief) and 'Loktantar Bachao' (Save Democracy), directing their criticism at the Chief Election Commissioner and the Centre's handling of electoral processes. The demonstration reflected growing tensions between the regional party and the national ruling establishment over allegations of electoral irregularities.
Chandigarh Police deployed a substantial force to the protest site and erected barricades to manage the gathering. Several AAP leaders, including Sisodia, party member Baltej Punia, and Sonia Mann, were detained during the demonstration. The party's protest came amid broader political tensions, with AAP condemning what it characterised as the pre-emptive detention of activists ahead of proposed demonstrations by opposition groups at Jantar Mantar in Delhi.
The incident underscores the escalating friction between AAP and the Central Bureau of Investigation and election authorities, amid the party's continued expansion in Punjab and efforts to strengthen its presence in other regions.