Chandigarh, February 16 – The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of using government funds to hold a rally in Moga on Monday. The SAD urged Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria and the Election Commission of India (ECI) to investigate the matter.
In a statement here, SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema alleged that the state-ruling AAP was engaging in deceptive politics by linking its rally with the government's "Yudh Nashain Virudh" scheme, even though the rally was intended to promote its campaign for the 2027 Assembly elections.
"Government funds were not only used to transport people to the rally, but the entire cost of the rally has been charged to the government. This is despite the fact that the rally was presided over by AAP National Convener Arvind Kejriwal and the Delhi leadership of the party, which has no role in governance in Punjab," he said.
Cheema termed this type of politics as shameful, and said the rally also witnessed purely political speeches and the leveling of wild allegations against political opponents.
He urged both the Governor and the ECI to initiate the process of recovering the entire amount spent in the rally from AAP, as it was held against norms and could not qualify as a government event.
The Akali Dal leader also condemned the manner in which the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police were forced to address a political rally.
He said this would result in the politicization of the state bureaucracy and was not good for democracy.
"Tomorrow, the Punjab government will force district-level officers to address political rallies and become part of the AAP," he said, adding that free and fair elections could not be expected in such a situation.