Chandigarh, Dec. 4 — Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring on Wednesday alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party government used state machinery in ways that created hurdles for opposition candidates during the nomination process for Zila Parishad and Block Samiti polls.
Warring said feedback from across Punjab pointed to a pattern in which police and officials “attempted to intimidate or obstruct” Congress candidates. “This shows the AAP has realized it is losing support,” he said. “Such actions only underline its desperation.”
He said Congress candidates were still able to file papers in most constituencies. “People across the state recorded what happened,” Warring noted. “If the government was confident about its record, there would be no need for such pressure.”
Responding to a widely circulated audio clip in which Patiala Police personnel are purportedly heard discussing steps to block opposition nominations, Warring said he could not determine whether the clip was authentic. “But that conversation matches what we are already witnessing on the ground,” he said.
Warring alleged that the husband of a Congress candidate was taken away by the local SHO, “moved from one location to another,” and “kept in custody overnight.” He said officers at every rank—SSP, SP, DSP and SHO—would “be held accountable.”
He also said the situation was affecting public security. “When police are engaged in these activities, gangsters and criminals benefit,” he said. “But this phase will end, and those who committed excesses will be asked to explain their actions.”
