Chandigarh, April 9
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) filed a complaint to the Election Commission against Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal for violating the directions of ECI regarding the political campaign. On Tuesday, the complaint was filed by the senior AAP leader and FM Punjab Harpal Singh Cheema. In a letter addressed to the Election Commission of India and Chief Electoral Officer Punjab, AAP leader said that Sukhbir Badal used a child for his campaign during his Punjab Bachao Yatra which is a political campaign.
In the leadership of Harpal Singh Cheema, along with Harchand Singh Barsat, Dr Sunny Ahluwalia, Malvinder Singh Kang and Tarunpreet Singh Sondh, AAP’s delegation reached the office of Punjab’s chief electoral officer in sector 17, Chandigarh to officially file this complaint. The letter states that on 06.04.2024 Sukhbir Singh Badal, President Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) during his election campaign ‘Punjab Bachao Yatra’ at Raikot between 1:07:02 PM and 1:08:10 PM, has violated the directions/instructions issued by the Election Commission of India when he made a child raise Slogans of Shiromani Akali Dal Zindabad and Vote for Akali Dal. The party also submitted the videographed proof of the incident.
It further said that this activity of Akali Dal and Sukhbir Singh Badal is also a violation of the mandate of the Judgment of the Hon’ble Bombay High Court in its Order dated 4th August, 2014 in PIL No. 127 of 2012 (Chetan Ramlal Bhutada Vs. State of Maharashtra and others) which had stressed the need to ensure that political parties do not allow participation of minor children in any election related activities. All political parties and candidates are required to ensure strict compliance with the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, as amended by the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2016. But Sukhbir Badal flouted not only the directions of the ECI but also the law that prohibits using children for political activities. Briefing the press, Harpal Singh Cheema said that Sukhbir Badal made a Child raise Slogans of Shiromani Akali Dal Zindabad and vote for Akali Dal. He passed the mic to the child and asked him to address the gathering. Cheema said that it is low even for Sukhbir Badal. This is a very unfortunate incident and the Election Commission should take the strictest possible action against the SAD president to set an example. He said that these traditional political parties and dynast politicians of Punjab are habitual rule breakers. He said that during the SAD-BJP government they flouted every rule and law and established mafia rule in Punjab. Now once again, in his ‘Pariwar Bachao Yatra’ by using a child for his election campaign Sukhbir Badal proved that he has no regard for election commission guidelines or our laws.
About The Author
