Chandigarh: AAP presses for anti- defection law
In a press conference, Vijaypal Singh, president of the Chandigarh AAP unit along with city councillors Yogesh Dhingra, Hardeep Singh, Jaswinder Kaur, and party's general secretary Omkar Singh Aulakh, said, 'AAP has consistently fought for transparency and strengthening democracy in Chandigarh over the past year. After continuous engagement with the public, judiciary, administration, and even Parliament, the approval of the 'Show of Hands' voting system marks a shared victory of AAP and the people of Chandigarh.'
'But this reform represents 50% progress towards full democratic transparency. Anti-defection law is a must to ensure complete transparency and to curb casteism, ideological deviation, and political horse-trading', the leaders added.
Leaders said that during the mayor elections on January 30, 2024, returning officer Anil Masih was caught on camera while tampering with 8 votes cast in favour of AAP–Congress alliance candidate Kuldeep Kumar Dhalor. 'This incident was described by the Supreme Court as a 'murder of democracy'. The election was cancelled and Dhalor was declared the mayor validly elected. In October 2024, AAP-Congress councillors led by Yogesh Dhingra, had approved an amendment to Regulation 6, recommending a shift from secret ballot to the 'Show of Hands' method for mayoral elections', they added.
They said that AAP leaders then met deputy commissioner in January and had then filed a petition in the Punjab and Haryana high court, demanding that the proposed secret ballot election scheduled for January 24 be cancelled and held via the show of hand system. 'Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari had also raised this issue in Parliament, advocating for a five-year mayoral term and open voting through the show of hands method at the national level,' they added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Removing IEDs top priority of security forces in Saranda: IG
Ranchi: Improvised explosive devices (IED) have emerged as the biggest challenge to security forces involved in anti-Maoist operations in the forest areas of Saranda and other parts of West Singhbhum. With the toll and injuries caused by IED blasts rising, police have launched special operations to detect and seize the devices. Police said it seized 41 IEDs, 4,000kg explosives, 18,000 detonators, and 34 gelatine sticks from different parts of the district in the past three months in the special search operations. Among the seized materials is 3,811kg explosives, which were a part of the 5,000kg looted from Odisha's Sundargarh on May 27. IG (South Chhotanagpur) Manoj Kaushik said, "The recovery of IEDs has become the top priority of security forces in the district. The looted explosives in Sundargarh were prime materials which could have been converted into IEDs by merely inserting detonators. The existence of large cache of explosives with Maoists is a major threat to safety of police personnel." "IEDs slowed down our operations in the past few months. Civilians are also becoming targets," he said. CRPF sub-inspector Sunil Kumar Mandal and assistant sub-inspector Satyawan Kumar Singh were martyred while six personnel were injured in IED blasts triggered by Maoists in Saranda this year. Saranda forest and its adjoining areas remain the last Maoist bastion in the state. Key Maoist leaders, including politburo member Misir Besra and central committee member Anal are hiding in the area.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Waste protest: AAP dumps garbage outside mayor's office
New Delhi: AAP councillors on Thursday dumped garbage outside the office of mayor Raja Iqbal Singh at the MCD headquarters in protest over alleged mismanagement of garbage collection services. Leader of the opposition Ankush Narang criticised the BJP-led Municipal Corporation of Delhi for neglecting central Delhi's worsening garbage crisis. "Heaps of waste are piling up, residents are suffering, and the mayor is busy partying in Manesar," the AAP councillor alleged. Criticising the protest at Civic Centre, the mayor said AAP's act reflected its anarchist mentality. "The party failed in both Delhi govt and MCD. That's why the people of Delhi voted them out of power," Singh said. You Can Also Check: Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi Narang alleged, "There is no sanitation agency in the central zone for two years. A place where 10 garbage tippers were engaged, only two are operational, and where 15 were engaged, just three remain functional." MCD has given an anticipatory approval for appointing a concessionaire for the central zone and the final nod will be taken later in the standing committee. However, it will take some time for the concessionaire to bring together machinery and start work on the ground. Alleging that all development projects came to a standstill as AAP did not allow the formation of the standing committee for two and a half years, the mayor said BJP formed the panel soon after coming to power and over 25 important proposals were passed in its first meeting. "We are in the process of approving other sanitation proposals," said Singh.
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Global South's voice key to contemporary world's progress: PM Modi tells Ghana's Parliament
Progress in the contemporary world will not be possible without giving a voice to the Global South, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday (3 July, 2025), addressing a joint session of Ghana's Parliament in its capital, Accra. Also read: PM Narendra Modi five-nation tour updates on July 3, 2025 Mr. Modi quoted Ghana's founding father Kwame Nkrumah, who said that Africa and India are connected by 'intrinsic' forces, in a speech outlining the widespread changes sweeping the world. 'The world order created after World War II is changing fast. The revolution in technology, the rise of the Global South, and the shifting demographics are contributing to its pace and scale. Challenges, such as colonial rule, that humanity has faced in earlier centuries still persist in different forms,' Mr. Modi said, hours after he was conferred with the Companion of the Order of the Star of Ghana, that nation's highest state honour. The Prime Minister described the honour as the 'symbol of enduring friendship' between India and Ghana, which has been a priority of India's ties with Africa since the early days of decolonisation in the 1950s. Global governance reforms 'Progress cannot come without giving voice to the Global South,' he emphasised, listing 'climate change, pandemics, terrorism, and cyber security' as the 'new and complex crises' that are posing fresh challenges to the world. 'The changing circumstances demand credible and effective reforms in global governance,' the Prime Minister said, highlighting the inclusion of the African Union into the G-20. 'We put emphasis on Africa's rightful place at the global high table. We are proud that the African Union became a permanent member of the G-20 during our Presidency,' Mr. Modi said. Uniting forces Quoting Dr. Nkrumah, Mr. Modi said, 'The forces that unite us are intrinsic and greater than the superimposed influences that keep us apart.' India is a 'pillar of strength in the world' that will stand 'shoulder to shoulder' with Ghana as it pursues its developmental goals, he vowed. This is the first speech by an Indian Prime Minister in Ghana's Parliament, with the special meeting being convened by the Speaker of the Ghanaian Parliament Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, who had visited India in 2023. Mr. Modi appreciated Ghana's parliamentary system and expressed satisfaction over the formation of the Ghana-India Parliamentary Friendship Society.
