11 hours ago
Ludhiana: Ration truck seized on poll eve, meant for voters, says Cong
Just hours before the Ludhiana West bypoll, tension gripped Sham Nagar as Mamta Ashu, former municipal councillor and wife of Congress candidate Bharat Bhushan Ashu, intercepted a truck allegedly carrying ration meant to influence voters.
According to Mamta Ashu, she was tipped off by local party workers that a truck filled with sacks of ration had arrived in Sham Nagar for distribution ahead of the vote. Acting on the information, she and her team rushed to the spot and halted the vehicle. The incident was streamed live on Facebook and covered by several media outlets.
Mamta Ashu said, 'When we questioned the truck driver in front of mediapersons and on Facebook Live, he clearly stated that the truck and ration did not belong to him. He claimed a traffic police officer from Khanna City-1 police station got the truck refueled and directed him to deliver the ration sacks to two specific locations in Sham Nagar.'
She further alleged that before the truck was caught, some of the ration had already been unloaded at a house in the locality. Despite her insistence, she claimed the police did not conduct a search at the suspected location. 'We demanded that the police check the house where the ration was dropped, but they refused to take action. We have now submitted a complaint through the C-Vigil app,' she added.
Assistant commissioner of police (Civil Lines) Guriqbal Singh confirmed that the truck has been seized and that an investigation is underway. 'We have taken possession of the vehicle. The driver's statement is being recorded and we are verifying the claims made by the Congress, including the alleged involvement of a traffic policeman from Khanna,' said the ACP.
Mamta Ashu said, 'We have submitted a formal complaint to the Election Commission and are demanding the registration of FIR. We are still waiting for the police to take legal action.'
