AAP holds protest against CEC in Chandigarh, backs CJP stir call; Sisodia, other leaders detained

Chandigarh: Punjab's ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday held a protest here against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged 'vote chori' (vote theft) and lashed out at the BJP-led Centre for detaining protesters ahead of the proposed demonstration by Cockroach Janta Party at Jantar Mantar in Delhi.

AAP workers and leaders, led by AAP leader and former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, held a demonstration against the BJP-led Centre near the office of the Punjab chief electoral officer here.

Several leaders, including Sisodia, Baltej Punia and Sonia Mann, were later detained by the Chandigarh Police.


The protesters held placards bearing messages such as 'Vote Chhor Gaddi Chhor' and 'Loktantar Bachao' and raised slogans against CEC Gyanesh Kumar.

A heavy police force was deployed, and barricades were erected in the wake of AAP's protest.

Earlier, addressing a gathering here, Sisodia slammed the BJP-led Union government for allegedly detaining youths who came to Delhi to protest against the CEC, seeking his resignation.

"Such a situation was not even seen during the Emergency," he said while taking on the Centre over deploying heavy police force in the national capital and detaining youths.

He alleged that Narendra Modi became the prime minister through 'vote chori'.

"Modi is scared that if protesters manage to reach Jantar Mantar, then like Dharmendra Pradhan, Gyanesh Kumar would also have to quit," said Sisodia.

Sisodia said the AAP completely supports the CJP's protest call at Jantar Mantar in Delhi.

"We also demand that Gyanesh Kumar resign," he said.

He claimed that 13 crore voters were removed from the electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIT) exercise.

"Modi does not win elections; he steals votes," he alleged.

FM Harpal Singh Cheema slammed the Centre over the detention of several protesters in Delhi.

"Youths were being detained. When youths were coming to Delhi for protest, the BJP was depriving them of exercising their democratic right," said Cheema.

"An unannounced Emergency has been imposed by the BJP," he alleged.

The CJP called for the demonstration at Jantar Mantar against the CEC over allegations of voter-list manipulation during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and changes relating to Form 6, used for voter registration.