Latest News | Punjab: Opposition Parties Demand Action Against AAP MLA for Opening Sealed Shops in Ludhiana
Get latest articles and stories on Latest News at LatestLY. Leaders of the opposition parties in Punjab on Sunday demanded initiation of action against AAP MLA Gurpreet Gogi who allegedly opened 10 shops which were sealed by the municipal corporation here for violating building bylaws.
Ludhiana, Jan 14 (PTI) Leaders of the opposition parties in Punjab on Sunday demanded initiation of action against AAP MLA Gurpreet Gogi who allegedly opened 10 shops which were sealed by the municipal corporation here for violating building bylaws.
The Ludhiana Municipal Corporation, as part of its drive against illegal structures, had a few days ago sealed several shops and commercial establishments in the Model Town extension area for violating building bylaws.
After the affected shopkeepers held a protest, the AAP legislator from Ludhiana West allegedly broke open the seal affixed by the civic body. Gogi claimed that proper procedure was not followed before sealing the shops.
There should be a three-day notice before sealing a building and that was not followed in this instant case, the AAP MLA alleged and accused the municipal corporation officials of misusing their powers.
"I will bring the whole case to the notice of the chief minister's office. These shops have been operating here for more than 10 years," Gogi added.
Latching on to the issue, the BJP's district unit president Rajnish Dhiman targeted the Bhagwant Mann government in the state, saying that ever since the AAP came to power, "its leaders think themselves to be above the law and do not care a fig about the rules and regulations".
"They think as a law unto themselves," he alleged and demanded strict action against the Ludiana West legislator.
Congress MP Ravneet Singh Bittu said breaking open the seals is a criminal offence and an inquiry should be initiated against the MLA.
Former municipal councillor Mamta Ashu, who is the wife of Congress leader Bharat Bhushan Ashu, demanded action against Gogi and said the way the MLA "brazenly" unsealed the shops, speaks volumes of his "high-handedness".
Nobody is above the law. He should have approached the municipal commissioner if he had any query or objection, she said.
Municipal Commissioner Sandeep Rishi said a comprehensive report has been sought from the building branch regarding the shops being opened despite them being sealed. Further action will be taken according to the report, he said.
A municipal corporation official said the crackdown was initiated against shops for violating building bylaws, including establishing commercial buildings in residential areas and constructing shops without approved building plans.
(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)