Badal caught on tape seeking funds for poll

A controversy has erupted in Punjab when a video clipping of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal asking industrialists to contribute to SAD-BJP’s Jallandhar candidate Pawan Kumar Tinu’s election campaign.

The video has been played by some of the local channels and has created a controversy as the Opposition Congress has asked the Election Commission to bar him from campaigning for “blatant violation” of the model code of conduct.

The video show chief minister saying “Parde naal davo, sahmane na davo (give quietly, don’t give openly),” as he asks for “crores” during a poll meeting with industrialists. However the SAD termed the video as only containing use of only Punjabi metaphors and symbols.

The state Congress president Partap Singh said, “The poll panel should categorically bar Mr Badal from campaigning in the state. In fact, he should not be allowed to campaign in the state.”

The Chief Minister, while addressing the industrial-

Besides physical and emotional support for Mr Tinu, there’s a third thing too. Please understand and help with it. Electioneering is a tough job and needs crores. Give secretly, not in the open. — PARKASH SINGH

BADAL, Punjab Chief Minister

ists had said, “Besides physical and emotional support for Mr Tinu, there’s a third thing too... please understand and help with it. Electioneering is a tough job and needs crores. Give secretly, not in the open.”

The recording also shows Mr Badal admitting to fudging expenditure details. “Crores are spent on campaigning, though we show less in expenditure details,” he is shown as saying.