Congress Alleges Detention of Councillors in Haryana Ahead of Tijara Poll

Political tension surrounding a high-stakes municipal council chairperson election in Rajasthan's Tijara spilled into neighbouring Haryana on Monday, with the Congress alleging that 18 of its backed councillors and its chairperson candidate were stopped by Haryana Police while returning from Himachal Pradesh.

The group had been staying at Kasol in Kullu district since September 10, part of an effort by the party to keep its councillors together and prevent defections before the vote, according to Congress leader Imran Khan, who was managing the party's campaign in Tijara. He said the group left Kasol around 8 p.m. on Sunday and was stopped near the Surajpur toll plaza in Panchkula district about an hour later.

Mr. Khan alleged that the group of 85 people, including the 18 councillors and candidate Ram Avtar Saini, was taken by police personnel accompanied by private individuals to a resort in Morni Hills. Some members managed to escape and reached the Pinjore police station, where Congress workers staged a protest. He further alleged that some women in the group were taken away without women police personnel present, and that the group was prevented from recording videos.

The Congress contended that the move was aimed at delaying the councillors' return to Tijara and keeping them from voting. The municipal council has 35 members, and the party claimed the support of around 19 to 20 councillors against about 15 backed by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Acting on a request from the group, the Returning Officer extended voting time till 8 p.m. under the Rajasthan Municipalities (Election) Rules, 1994. The Congress sought a further extension until 11 p.m. or midnight. Mr. Khan said the group eventually resumed its journey around 5 p.m. on Monday.

Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee president Rao Narender Singh also questioned the reported detention, asking the administration to clarify the legal provision under which the elected representatives were stopped and the grounds on which they were held at the police station.

Denying the allegations, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Panchkula-4, Ram Kumar said a group of men from Rajasthan had staged a protest outside the Pinjore police station on Monday, alleging that some people in their group had gone missing. The police traced the missing persons to Shahbad and they later left for Rajasthan, he said. Inspector Rajesh Kumar of the Pinjore police station declined to comment.