Respect people’s mandate, don’t call defeats vote theft: Dhillon

The Punjab BJP held a ‘Save Democracy, Remove Anarchy’ march in Patiala on Friday, with State President Kewal Singh Dhillon accusing Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of undermining democratic institutions.

Addressing the gathering at around 12.15 pm, Dhillon said Congress questioned electronic voting machines (EVMs) when it lost elections but accepted the process when it won. He said electoral defeats should not be described as vote theft and the people’s mandate must be respected.

On the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Dhillon said the exercise aimed to verify duplicate entries, deceased voters and people who could not be traced at their registered addresses. He said the Election Commission was responsible for protecting eligible citizens’ voting rights and accused opposition parties of politicising the exercise to benefit Rahul Gandhi.

Dhillon cited Legislative Council elections in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar and Karnataka, which he said were held using ballot papers. He asked Congress to explain its allegations in the context of those polls, including Karnataka, where the party is in power.

Targeting the AAP government, Dhillon alleged opposition candidates faced intimidation, attacks and the tearing or snatching of nomination papers during Municipal Corporation and Municipal Council elections. He referred to Supreme Court directions for fresh elections in Patiala, Moga and Bagha Purana, and questioned Arvind Kejriwal’s comments on alleged vote theft in Delhi.

Dhillon raised concerns over drug abuse, murders and extortion in Punjab, and referred to the murder of Parvinder Singh Jhota.

Former Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar alleged Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had surrendered the dignity of his office to Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, claiming decisions concerning Punjab were being taken by leaders in Delhi.

Maharani Preneet Kaur accused opposition parties of questioning the Election Commission and the SIR process during the public march in Patiala.