Akali Dal Waris Punjab De leader Manpreet Singh Ayali on Tuesday accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab of delaying his party's registration by failing to respond to communications from the Election Commission of India (ECI) seeking the state's objections, if any, to the registration process.
Raising the matter on the concluding day of the Punjab Assembly session, Ayali claimed that the Election Commission had written twice to the state's Home Department through the state electoral office, but the government had not furnished a response.
He said the letters, dated July 14 and October 13, sought to ascertain whether the Punjab government had any objection to the registration of Akali Dal Waris Punjab De.
Ayali questions delay in registration
Ayali alleged that despite receiving both communications, the Home Department had failed to submit its report to the Election Commission. He demanded that the department respond without further delay and send a favourable report supporting the party's registration.
The leader maintained that Akali Dal Waris Punjab De had developed a substantial support base across Punjab and that an increasing number of people were associating themselves with the organisation.
He questioned the delay in completing the registration process, arguing that the party should not be made to wait despite having fulfilled the necessary requirements.
Ayali had earlier accused the Election Commission itself of unnecessarily delaying the registration. He had claimed that the party had complied with all prescribed conditions and alleged that the delay was deliberate.
According to him, the prolonged registration process had generated widespread resentment among members of the Sikh community and supporters of the party in India and abroad.
Party led by jailed MP Amritpal Singh
Akali Dal Waris Punjab De is led by Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh, who is currently lodged in a jail in Assam in connection with the 2023 Ajnala police station attack case.
The party's registration has remained a contentious issue, with its leaders repeatedly demanding that the Election Commission complete the process.
Ayali's latest allegations brought the matter before the Punjab Assembly, with the leader now questioning the state government's role in the delay.
He urged the Home Department to communicate its position to the Election Commission so that the registration process could proceed.
AAP MLA seeks parole for Hawara
Meanwhile, during Zero Hour, AAP MLA and former minister Chetan Singh Jouramajra raised the issue of granting parole to Jagtar Singh Hawara, who is serving a life sentence in connection with the 1995 assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh.
Jouramajra said Hawara should be allowed to meet his ailing mother on humanitarian grounds.
He suggested that a committee comprising Punjab Cabinet ministers could be constituted to take up the matter with the Central government and explore the possibility of securing parole for Hawara.
The MLA urged the government to consider the request so that Hawara could visit his mother, citing her deteriorating health.
Both issues were raised during the concluding day's proceedings of the Punjab Assembly session.