With just days left for the Delhi Assembly elections, a political controversy erupted after Delhi Police seized liquor bottles and cash from a car bearing AAP pamphlets and marked with ‘Punjab Sarkar’. The Punjab government has since clarified that the vehicle’s registration number was forged and fake.
Vehicle with ‘Punjab Sarkar’ Marking Seized
- On Wednesday night, police at Tilak Marg station were alerted about a suspicious vehicle near Punjab Bhavan.
- Upon inspection, the car was found to have multiple liquor bottles, pamphlets of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and cash worth lakhs.
- The vehicle had a Punjab registration number (‘PB’ series) and was labelled ‘Punjab Sarkar’.
BJP’s Reaction: “AAP’s True Face Exposed”
BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal strongly criticized AAP over the incident:
“Delhi police have caught a Punjab government vehicle with cash and liquor. The disgusting face of AAP has been exposed. Kejriwal’s government is built on corruption, scams, and lies. Delhi will vote for a change and bring BJP to power.”
AAP’s Response: “A Hilarious Allegation”
AAP denied any link to the vehicle and called the accusations politically motivated.
- AAP spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar stated:
“This is a hilarious allegation. The Punjab government clarified that no such car belongs to them. The registration number is from Maharashtra, not Punjab or Delhi. BJP is trying to mislead people before elections.”
Punjab Government: “Registration is Fake”
The Punjab government issued an official clarification, stating:
- The vehicle number (PB35AE1342) belongs to a Ford EcoSport registered in 2018, while the seized vehicle was a Hyundai Creta.
- The actual owner is Maj. Anubhav Shivpuri, a former Army Dental College officer in Pathankot, and a resident of Maharashtra.
- The number plate was fake, as it did not have a mandatory High-Security Registration Plate (HSRP).
- “No such vehicle is owned or hired by the Punjab government.”
Political Storm Ahead of February 5 Elections
As Delhi gears up for elections on February 5, the controversy has further intensified the political battle between AAP, BJP, and Congress. While BJP is using the incident to attack AAP over alleged corruption, AAP is calling it a desperate move by the opposition to divert attention from key issues.
With voting just days away, this incident has added fuel to an already heated electoral fight in the national capital.