Punjab: Congress lodges complaints with poll panel against SAD-BJP

A case has been filed against the Shiromani Akali Dal and the BJP by Congress's Punjab unit for circulating pamphlets to "mislead" voters on religious line. The party claimed the pamphlet was targeting the state government's policy decisions having a direct bearing on labourers, Scheduled Castes, Backward Classes, farmers and government employees.

Chandigarh: The Congress's Punjab unit on Sunday lodged two separate complaints with the Election Commission against the Shiromani Akali Dal and the BJP for circulating pamphlets to "mislead" voters on religious lines and "malign" the image of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh through a "false advertisement".

In a complaint filed by Punjab Congress general secretary Sandeep Sandhu to Chief Electoral Officer S Karuna Raju, it was pointed out that the SAD pamphlet "directly violates" the provisions of the model code of conduct.

The party claimed the pamphlet was targeting the state government's policy decisions having a direct bearing on labourers, Scheduled Castes, Backward Classes, farmers and government employees.

Sandhu said these voters were the backbone of the state's economy and were being targeted with false information on policy matters not only to "manipulate their minds" but was also in clear violation of the fundamental component of free and fair elections.

Certain religious issues have also been highlighted in the pamphlet which were "misleading" the voters in the name of religion, the party said.

In another complaint, the Congress demanded stringent action against the SAD-BJP, accusing it of indulging in "gross misconduct for misusing" theatres, multiplexes and a private TV channel to run a "false advertisement" to "malign" the image of the chief minister and the party.

The Congress demanded a ban on screening of the advertisement, which it said was violating the model code of conduct.