Bathinda Member of Parliament Harsimrat Kaur Badal has escalated a major political controversy by demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into a purported viral audio clip. The clip allegedly features a senior police official instructing subordinates to prevent Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) candidates from filing their nomination papers for the upcoming zila parishad elections in Punjab.
Allegations of Police-Led Election Rigging
Raising the issue in the Lok Sabha on Friday, Harsimrat Kaur Badal stated that the audio clip has gone viral across Punjab. In the clip, a Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) is purportedly heard directing Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs) and Station House Officers (SHOs) to stop Akali Dal candidates in their villages from reaching election office premises. The MP accused the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab of "using police to rig the elections and snatching democratic rights."
She urged the Election Commission of India to take stringent action, including delisting AAP from contesting elections. "It is a conspiracy to derail the free and fair elections and to snatch the constitutional rights," Harsimrat asserted, calling the situation a move to turn Punjab into a "police state."
Legal Petitions and Forensic Investigation Demand
The political storm has already moved to the courts. The Shiromani Akali Dal has filed a petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court after party president Sukhbir Singh Badal uploaded the purported audio clip on social media. In a parallel development, the Congress party has also approached the high court, alleging malpractices in the filing of nomination papers for the zila parishad and panchayat samiti elections in the state.
Harsimrat Kaur Badal emphasized that the authenticity of the controversial audio clip must be verified by a forensic sciences laboratory. She has also written to the Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, formally demanding a forensic investigation into the clip. Her demand for a CBI probe seeks the intervention of the Union Home Ministry to ensure strict action is taken.
Implications for December 14 Elections
The allegations have cast a shadow over the electoral process for the zila parishad elections scheduled for December 14. The core accusation is that the state machinery is being misused to obstruct opposition candidates from participating in the democratic process. This development marks a significant escalation in political tensions in Punjab, with major opposition parties uniting in their allegations against the AAP government.
The coming days are likely to see increased political maneuvering as the Election Commission, the courts, and central investigative agencies are pressed to respond to these serious charges of electoral interference.
