Cong alleges Haryana police detained 18 party-backed Raj councillors

Congress alleges Haryana police detained 18 Rajasthan councillors in Panchkula to influence the Tijara municipal council chairperson election.

The councillors were reportedly returning from Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh, when they were stopped at a toll plaza and allegedly taken to a farm in Morni Hills.

Panchkula Police deny any role in the alleged detention, stating they were unaware of the councillors' whereabouts.

Haryana Congress leaders staged a sit-in protest, condemning the incident as a "murder of democracy" and demanding an impartial, high-level inquiry.

Congress claims the detention was a "pre-planned move" by BJP governments in Rajasthan and Haryana to undermine the democratic process.

Congress leaders have alleged that the Haryana police detained 18 party-backed councillors from Rajasthan's Tijara in Panchkula district on Sunday evening while they were returning from Himachal Pradesh to vote in the election for the Tijara municipal council chairperson scheduled for Monday.

The Panchkula police, however, has denied the Congress' claim.

Upon learning about the incident, Congress leaders from Panchkula staged a sit-in outside the Pinjore police station on Monday, alleging "murder of democracy", party leaders said.

Haryana Congress president Rao Narender Singh demanded an impartial and high-level inquiry into the entire matter.

Allegations Of Unlawful Detention

Congress' Panchkula district president Sanjay Chauhan said the detained councillors were let off on Monday somewhere between Shahabad and Kurukshetra for their onward journey to Rajasthan.

The 18 councillors, along with their families, had gone to Kasauli after the municipal elections on September 9, the results of which were declared on Monday, with the BJP claiming victory in over 200 to 273 urban local bodies.

But they decided to return after polling to elect the municipal council chairperson was extended to 6 pm, in the hope of reaching on time, Tijara's Congress leader Imran Khan said.

On Sunday evening, as the councillors headed back to Tijara, more than 20 vehicles, including police and private ones, were stopped at a toll plaza near Panchkula.

Khan claimed that mobile phones of those filming the incident were snatched, and the councillors were taken to a farm in Panchkula's Morni Hills.

He further alleged that they were detained at the behest of the BJP governments in Rajasthan and Haryana, calling it a "pre-planned move" to influence the municipal chairperson election, in which, he said, the Congress had an edge.

Police Deny Involvement Amidst Protests

Responding to the allegations, Panchkula ACP Ram Kumar told reporters that police had no role in the detention of the councillors. "They (Congress leaders) are saying they (the councillors) were returning from Himachal on Sunday and that their whereabouts were not known after they reached Surajpur or some area in Panchkula," he said.

"I spoke to those who staged a sit-in and assured them that we will try to find out the whereabouts of the councillors at the earliest. But later we came to know that the councillors had moved towards Shahabad or Ambala," the ACP said.

In a statement, Haryana Congress president Rao Narender Singh said that "stopping elected public representatives immediately before an election is a matter of serious concern and raises questions about the intent behind the police administration's action".

He demanded that the administration immediately clarify under which legal provision the councillors were stopped.

Senior Haryana Congress leader and former MLA Paradeep Chaudhary also claimed that the councillors were detained by the police.

"They started from Kasauli on Sunday. When they reached the toll barrier in Panchkula, police took them in their vehicles towards Morni. When we came to know about it this morning, we reached the Pinjore police station and staged a dharna," Chaudhary said.

Preventing councillors from voting is murder of democracy, he alleged.

Concerns Over Democratic Process

Haryana Congress chief Narender Singh said if any person is facing a criminal or legal case, the police are free to take action in accordance with the law.

"However, stopping elected councillors just before an election and restricting their movement is a serious step that could affect the democratic process," he said.

Singh further alleged that the BJP government is attempting to suppress democratic institutions and elected representatives through the use of state power.

He said the action reflects what he alleged BJP's authoritarian approach and misuse of official machinery.

"In a democracy, governments cannot use the police and administration as instruments of political pressure," he added.

He said elections are one of the most important processes in a democracy, and every elected representative must be allowed to exercise their democratic rights freely, without fear, pressure or interference.

"If any councillor is facing a case, the details should be made public and transparent action should be taken strictly in accordance with the law. However, the administration must provide a clear explanation for the reported detention of the councillors immediately before the election," he said.

Demands For Impartial Inquiry

Singh also demanded an impartial high-level inquiry and sought clarification on who ordered the councillors to stop.

"The BJP government must understand that political power is not permanent, but democratic institutions are," he said.

He added that the Congress would democratically oppose any attempt to weaken the democratic system through what he described as an attitude of arrogance and authoritarianism.

He urged the Haryana Police and administration to ensure impartiality, transparency and the rule of law remain the highest priorities, and demanded that the administration immediately clarify the status and circumstances concerning the Rajasthan councillors.