'Jungle Raj' In Punjab, Mann Must Resign: BJP After SC Cancels Civic Polls

Punjab is living in "jungle raj" under the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, the BJP said on Thursday, and demanded Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's resignation.

The remark came after the Supreme Court set aside elections, held in Punjab's 50 municipal wards, and ordered fresh polls

The top court on September 28 ordered a re-poll in 50 wards after its fact-finding commission found "widespread obstruction during the nomination process, whereby nomination papers were snatched, torn or destroyed, and candidates were assaulted, detained or threatened."

Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters, party spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia hailed the court's decision and accused the Punjab government under Mann of "murdering democracy."

He also took on AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, saying, "The party which came into politics in the name of Swaraj has become the party of 'goondaraj'."

Bhatia said, "People of Punjab are demanding Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's resignation. If he does not resign, people are going to remove him from his 'kursi'."

The spokesperson said that it was the Punjab government's responsibility to ensure free and fair civil polls, but candidates were obstructed from filing nomination papers, threatened and assaulted.

"Democracy has completely collapsed in Punjab," he charged.

Bhatia also demanded a response on the development from Kejriwal, who, he said, is protesting in Delhi by making "baseless" allegations of murder of democracy under the BJP-NDA rule.

"Kejriwal must break his silence and tell the people of Punjab and the country how democracy is being murdered in Punjab under his party's rule with misuse of police," he added.