India News | Punjab Cong Holds Protest Against AAP Govt's Decision to Dissolve Panchayats
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. The Punjab Congress Tuesday held a protest against the AAP government's recent decision of dissolving all panchayats in the state, terming it "dictatorial" and "a direct attack on the country's federal structure".
Mohali (Punjab), Aug 22 (PTI) The Punjab Congress Tuesday held a protest against the AAP government's recent decision of dissolving all panchayats in the state, terming it "dictatorial" and "a direct attack on the country's federal structure".
The Punjab government, in an order on August 10, dissolved all gram panchayats, panchayat samitis and zila parishads and the elections will be held in November and December.
During the protest on Tuesday, Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa said sarpanches are elected representatives and the decision was a "vicious' attempt by the AAP government to snatch away their right to self-governance.
The decision was a 'direct attack on the federal structure of the country and a violation of the Constitution", he said.
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Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring slammed the Bhagwant Mann government for the "dictatorial" decision and asked, “What if the Punjab Governor uses his constitutional powers and dissolves the AAP government six months before its tenure? Would the chief minister remain silent or would he cry for justice?"
Alleging the ruling party of Punjab was attempting to "intimidate" the leaders and members of panchayats across the state, Bajwa stressed that the Congress party would not tolerate any such "atrocity".
In a letter to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Bajwa said, "It is perplexing that the dates for Panchayat elections have been announced so much in advance, with panchayat samitis and zila parishads slated to be held by November 25, 2023, followed by panchayat elections in two phases by December 31, 2023."
"While the importance of timely elections cannot be overstated, it is equally vital to ensure that due process is followed and the sanctity of the electoral process is maintained. The haste with which these dates have been announced so early raises questions about the transparency and fairness of the electoral process," Bajwa wrote.
The 'dharna' was attended by Congress MLAs, former MLAs and district presidents who raised slogans against the AAP government and demanded that the decision to dissolve the panchayats be revoked immediately.
Warring said, "We will continue to fight against this unconstitutional and undemocratic decision and press the government to withdraw the decision."
The Punjab Congress has already filed a petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court challenging the AAP government's decision to dissolve the panchayats.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)