Questioning the "partial and biased conduct" of Punjab Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) V K Singh, Congress leader Amarinder Singh today asked him to have moral courage and perform his duties as is expected of a senior and responsible official or demit office.
Addressing a press conference here, Amarinder quoted instances where, he said, the CEO's conduct smacked of partiality and partisan approach devoid of independent thinking and action expected of a senior official entrusted with such an important responsibility.
In a letter to the the CEO, Amarinder accused him of supporting the Akali-BJP government ahead of the Lok Sabha elections and not acting on "complaints from the Congress and other opposition parties".
He cited the CEO's support to state DGP Sumedh Singh Saini who, he said, was facing serious charges including murder and abduction, and had "mobilised money and other resources for the Akalis during the last Assembly election".
"Your permission to allow the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Sukhbir Singh Badal's photographs on wheat bags and ration cards also smacks of your favour for the ruling party," he said while referring to the action taken by Himachal CEO in disallowing "ration cards with the photographs of the Chief Minister there".
The former Chief Minister also chaged the CEO with not taking any action against guilty officials in the seizure of bicycles with photographs of the Chief Minister in Sangrur which were being distributed under Mai Bhago scheme.
Earlier, Amarinder also condemned the state government's decision to equate the DGP of the state with the Chief of the Army Staff of the country to enable him to use the red beacon.
He said it was an insult to the Army Chief of the country who is the head of about 15 lakh force.
The senior Congress leader maintained that he would campaign across the state and the country as required by the party.
