New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Malviya Nagar assembly constituency, Satish Upadhyay, has launched a scathing attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), accusing the ruling party of promoting a “culture of buying votes” by distributing liquor. His remarks came after Delhi police seized cash and liquor worth lakhs from a car parked near Punjab Bhavan on Wednesday, which was found carrying AAP pamphlets and bearing a Punjab registration number plate with ‘Punjab Sarkar’ written on it.
In a self-made video, Upadhyay alleged that the incident exposed AAP’s unethical election practices. “The way a vehicle with a Punjab registration and in front of Punjab Bhavan had liquor, it is really clear what kind of election they (AAP) want to have. They want to buy the votes of the public by distributing liquor, and this is the culture of AAP. The way they wanted to make Delhi a liquor city, the same way they are influencing people. There cannot be anything more shameful than that,” he said.
Punjab Government Clarifies
The Punjab Transport Department has since issued a clarification, stating that the vehicle’s registration number is “forged and fake.” According to the department, the registration number PB35AE1342 belongs to a Ford Eco Sport owned by Major Anubhav Shivpuri, a resident of Khadki, Maharashtra, who was posted in Pathankot three years ago. However, the seized vehicle is a Hyundai Creta, confirming that the number plate was counterfeit.
The department further clarified that the vehicle has no connection to the Punjab government. “We have searched our records and found that no such vehicle is owned or hired by the Government of Punjab. The apprehended vehicle does not belong to the Government of Punjab at all,” the statement read.