Akalis urge EC to probe ‘sale’ of tickets by AAP

CHANDIGARH: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Saturday asked the election commission (EC) to investigate the ‘rampant’ violation of electoral laws by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the wake of revelations that the party was collecting crores of rupees in lieu of giving party tickets for the 2017 assembly elections in Punjab.

In a statement here, the SAD’s Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Balwinder Singh Bhunder, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Prem Singh Chandumajra, Naresh Gujral, Ranjit Singh Brahmpura and Sher Singh Ghubaya urged the election commission to verify the disclosures made by former AAP convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur against his own party and initiate proceedings to disqualify AAP from national politics.

“The alleged party of change has turned out to be a money-collection machine that is milking gullible Punjabis by promising tickets to them,” the MPs said. “This has vitiated the electoral politics in Punjab”.

Union minister Harsimrat Badal also asked the EC to summon AAP convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal to explain why he was trying encourage the Sikh leaders to “disrespect” their own religion. She said had Chhotepur not rejected Kejriwal’s statement to take the Akal Takth head on, the supreme religious head of Sikhs, the peaceful atmosphere of the State would have been severely disturbed.