‘Will you now enter bedrooms?': Row over private photos escalates in Punjab, AAP minister Ravjot Singh files police plaint against SAD leader Bikram Majithia
(SAD) leader
for posting his "edited" personal photographs on social media accounts seeking to "scandalise and defame him".
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Calling Majithia "an irrelevant leader from an irrelevant party raising an irrelevant issue," the minister, addressing a press conference, sought to give the issue a casteist angle, saying that Majithia was targeting Scheduled Caste (SC) leaders of the AAP. He mentioned minister Lal Chand Kataruchak and former minister Balkar Singh, whose "sleazy videos" were earlier released by Majithia. All three hail from the SC community.
He claimed that Majithia had a history of oppressing SCs and Dalits during his tenure in power, while the AAP govt was a supporter of the two communities.
He said that Majithia circulated these photographs when AAP was set to win the Ludhiana West byelection.
"The photograph shared on social media is a disgraceful and unethical attempt to mislead the public and defame me. This woman is someone's daughter, mother, or sister.
This act is not just an attack on me but an insult to all women. Such tactics reflect the low level of politics practised by such leaders," said Ravjot, flanked by AAP state general secretary Deepak Bali and local AAP leader Tarandeep Sunny.
He said that the photographs in question were eight to 10 years old and feature his ex-wife. He reiterated claims that the pictures were "edited". He said that releasing such photographs amounted to insulting women and his former wife was suffering ignominy without any fault of hers.
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He said he was leaving the matter in the court of God and the people.
Wrong to bring casteism angle: Channi
Jalandhar MP and former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi has sought to debunk attempts by local bodies minister Ravjot Singh and AAP to introduce a caste angle into the recent controversy surrounding alleged "sleazy photographs". In a statement posted on his X handle, Channi said, "One after the other obscene videos of
ministers coming out are a grave disrespect to women.
It is wrong to link this issue with casteism in any way. It would be better if the entire AAP party apologises and resigns."
'Pics morphed': Another minister slams Majithia
Punjab Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief and minister for minister for good governance and information technology Aman Arora on Wednesday slammed Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia for putting out "private" and "morphed" pictures of his cabinet colleague Ravjot Singh in the public domain.
"I never anticipated that someone could take politics to such a low level. This is not right," Arora said while responding to a question on the issue during a press conference here.
When asked if the row had dented the party's image, Arora said: "Dr Ravjot Singh has already clarified that these were his private photos with his ex-wife, which were being posted on social media after AI morphing. How will this dent the party's image?"
Rather, Arora added: "This raises a question mark on the character of the person who is posting these photos. Will they resort to such a low level of politics?"
"Why does Majithia get such photos or news just two days ahead of the elections," he asked. "I mean, it is a very sorry state of affairs. Only a handful, two or four leaders of Punjab, one can count on fingers, resort to such a low level of politics."
Arora further asked: "Will they even enter the bedrooms of people? It is ridiculous. What these people are doing is total nonsense."
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