Verify unauthorised stay in Punjab Bhawan: EC

The Election Commission has asked the Delhi police to verify whether Punjab policemen and other unauthorised people have been staying in Punjab Bhawan and Kapurthala House.

The verification has been sought after the EC forwarded the complaint of the Congress to police to verify if those living in Punjab Bhawan during the current election period are eligible to stay there and if cops are also staying there.

The Congress, in its complaint, had charged the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) with misusing Punjab government guesthouses in 

the national capital for election purposes and petitioned the EC to deploy special surveillance teams at Punjab Bhawan and Kapurthala House here to check such activities.

In a complaint to Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampath, the Congress has alleged that SAD ministers have come from Punjab to Delhi and are freely moving around in the assembly constituencies in the city and the Punjab government guesthouses in Delhi are being ‘misused’ for political purposes.

The Congress alleged that SAD leaders were not only staying at these facilities with fictitious names, they were also using these locations for ‘all kinds of illegal activities’.

‘It is therefore requested that special surveillance teams be deputed at Punjab Bhawan and Kapurthala House and the activities of Akali Dal ministers and Punjab police personnel be monitored,’ the Congress complaint to EC said.

A Congress delegation led by AICC general secretary Shakeel Ahmed had on 26 November alleged to the CEC that Punjab police personnel were intimidating people in Delhi to cast their votes in favour of SAD candidates.