BJP plans to delete Punjabi votes through SIR, AAP won't allow it: Sisodia

Aam Aadmi Party leader Manish Sisodia on Tuesday said the BJP is planning to delete votes through Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, but the party will not allow deletion of a single Punjabi vote.

AAP's working committee held a meeting here on Tuesday, with its main agenda being the stopping of wrongful deletion of votes through the SIR exercise, according to a statement.

The meeting was attended by Sisodia, cabinet ministers, MLAs, district presidents, constituency in-charges, trade wings, youth wings and the party's office-bearers, it said.

At the meeting, AAP leaders sharply criticised the BJP, alleging that it was using new political tactics, keeping the 2027 Punjab assembly elections in mind.

The leaders said that after misusing agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate, the saffron party is now attempting to ''weaken'' democracy in Punjab through the SIR exercise, which will not be allowed to succeed at any cost.

At the meeting, Sisodia said that earlier, the BJP tried to suppress opposition leaders through ED and CBI raids, and now it is planning to delete votes. Preparations are underway to remove lakhs of Punjabi voters and snatch their democratic rights.

He said that AAP is taking the issue very seriously and will ensure strict monitoring from the booth to the state level.

''AAP volunteers, leaders, MLAs and ministers will step into the field to protect every single vote. No Punjabi will be allowed to face injustice. If any attempt is made to delete someone's vote, AAP will strongly oppose it,'' he said.

Calling the BJP ''anti-Punjab,'' Sisodia said the saffron party is working with a policy of ''capturing'' Punjab's resources and institutions.

He alleged that the BJP has long been trying to increase its influence over Chandigarh, Bhakra Dam and Panjab University, and is now using SIR to ''weaken'' Punjab's political strength.

Referring to cabinet minister Sanjeev Arora, Sisodia alleged that he was implicated in a false case because he refused to bow before the BJP.

He said some ''traitor leaders'' from AAP joined the BJP under pressure, but many others are still standing firm on their ideology and are, therefore, being targeted.

AAP Punjab president Aman Arora claimed that preparations are being made to delete genuine votes in Punjab through SIR ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.

The Aam Aadmi Party is fully prepared to protect people's democratic rights, he said, adding that Punjabi voters will not be allowed to lose their votes under any circumstances.

Targeting the Centre over the increase in petrol and diesel prices, Arora said the government has completely failed in curbing inflation.

Common people are already suffering from rising prices, and now the government is burdening them further by increasing fuel prices, he alleged.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)