Drama at Kharar council floor test

Mohali: Kharar MC president Jaspreet Kaur Longia survived the no confidence motion called by AAP councillors, which was mired in controversy, on Friday. With this, Longia of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) will remain Kharar MC president.

The floor test scheduled for Friday was stalled as only two AAP councillors turned up.

There was a minor altercation, which escalated when two SAD councillors, Man Singh and Amandeep Singh allegedly slapped the woman constable on duty. They were booked. Kharar sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Ravinder Singh said that the woman constable was taken to the civil hospital and the meeting was called off. Jaspreet Kaur Longia accused AAP councillors of creating a ruckus and thrashing her uncle Man Singh. “Also, they disconnected wires of CCTV cameras installed in the committee room where the meeting was scheduled. CCTV cameras cannot be shut down on a working day,” she alleged.

Longia said that the no confidence motion called by AAP councillors against her failed as only two of their supporters turned up in the meeting. “The resolution for the failed no confidence motion has been passed and brought on record in the minutes of the meeting,” she said.

AAP councillor Harinder Pal Singh Jolly said that the meeting was postponed due to the law and order situation. He added that the SDM had postponed the meeting. Sources said 18 councillors were required to pass the no-confidence motion, but AAP only had 17 in their favour.

In September last year, eight Congress councillors, six independent and one SAD councillor joined Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the presence of cabinet minister Anmol Gagan Mann. On February 17, 2021, MC elections resulted in a hung house as the Congress bagged 10 of 27 seats, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) got eight, Aam Aadmi Party got one and Independents clinched eight seats. Later, SAD with the help of independent councillors, elected Jaspreet Kaur Longia as its president.

SAD in-charge, Kharar constituency Ranjit Singh Gill said, “AAP is playing dirty politics by pressurising councillors and levelling baseless allegations against our councillors. AAP has miserably failed in the state. People of Kharar are watching them and will soon give a befitting reply.”