Chandigarh – Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema launched a sharp attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after attending a GST Council meeting in Delhi, alleging that the ruling party has repeatedly engaged in “vote theft” to grab power and is now threatening India’s democratic structure.
Cheema cited examples of alleged electoral malpractice, pointing to the Chandigarh mayoral election where votes were reportedly tampered with on camera. He noted that despite protests and petitions to the Punjab Governor, the matter only found resolution after intervention from the Supreme Court, which overturned the results.
He said BJP has made election manipulation a habit, alleging similar irregularities during the Bihar polls. “The party’s tactics are clear steal votes, silence opposition, and undermine constitutional democracy,” Cheema remarked.
The minister also accused the BJP of conducting camps in Punjab under the guise of public service to collect Aadhaar, PAN, bank, and other personal details. He warned that this constitutes a violation of the Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, which prohibits the use of private data without authorization. According to him, such practices not only risk voter suppression but also open avenues for cyber fraud.
“People must remain vigilant and not fall for these fraudulent camps. The BJP is using data collection as another tool to interfere with democracy and target voters,” Cheema cautioned.
He further claimed that BJP’s ongoing practices pose a direct threat to both the Constitution and democratic values of the country.
