Sonu Sood restrained from visiting polling stations in Moga, car impounded by police
Chandigarh, Feb 20: The Election Commission on Sunday restrained actor and philanthropist Sonu Sood from visiting polling stations in Moga, where his sister is contesting on a Congress ticket, after receiving complaints that he was allegedly influencing voters, according to officials.
Sood's vehicle was also impounded by police, they said, adding that a video surveillance team was also deployed outside his residence.
However, he has denied the charges of influencing voters.
Moga Returning Officer (RO) Satwant Singh said that Sood was directed not to visit polling stations.
Sood accused some candidates of buying votes, but the district election office did not find any substance in the allegation.
In a tweet, Sood alleged, Other Candidates in #Moga Constituency are buying votes. @ECISVEEP should take immediate action regarding the same.
"We should be extremely careful of rumours and fake news & ensure that we all go out and vote for the right candidate who can bring the change for the betterment of our society. Your every vote will strengthen our democracy and is crucial for the development of our country," he said in another tweet.
On Sood's accusation, the RO said no such incident came to their notice.
He said several locations were checked but no cash was found.
Sood's sister had joined the Congress last month. Election to the 117-member Punjab Assembly is being held on Sunday.
Other Candidates in #Moga Constituency are buying votes.@ECISVEEP should take immediate action regarding the same.@DproMoga @MogaPolice @DGPPunjabPolice @PunjabPoliceInd
— sonu sood (@SonuSood) February 20, 2022
We should be extremely careful of rumors and fake news & ensure that we all go out and vote for the right candidate who can bring the change for the betterment of our society.
— sonu sood (@SonuSood) February 20, 2022
Your every vote will strengthen our democracy and is crucial for the development of our country
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Congress using hijab issue to pacify minority anger, alleges Karnataka LoP R Ashoka
Bengaluru: Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka has accused the Congress government of using the hijab issue to placate what he described as discontent among minority voters after the Davanagere by-election.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Ashoka alleged that the state government, instead of addressing issues such as price rise, corruption, farmers’ distress and law and order, was attempting to retain its minority vote base by reviving the hijab issue.
Referring to the 2022 dress code introduced by the BJP government, which prohibited hijab in schools and colleges, Ashoka said the Karnataka High Court had upheld the policy and emphasised the importance of discipline in educational institutions.
He questioned the Congress government’s move to revisit the issue and asked whether setting aside the court-backed policy to benefit one community could be described as secularism.
Ashoka further alleged that while the government was willing to permit hijab, it continued to prohibit saffron shawls.
He accused the government of dividing students on religious lines rather than treating schools and colleges as spaces of equality.
Drawing a comparison with Mamata Banerjee’s government in West Bengal, Ashoka claimed that excessive appeasement politics had harmed the state and warned that the Congress in Karnataka could face a similar political response.
He said voters in Karnataka would teach the Congress a lesson for what he termed “vote-bank politics” and for compromising constitutional and judicial principles.
