By Hina Rohtaki
The Chandigarh unit of Bharatiya Janata Party has dropped the name of Anil Masih, presiding officer who is under fire for allegedly defacing the ballot papers, from the party’s minority cell. The decision comes a few days after the Supreme Court made its observations that it won’t allow the murder of democracy and that Masih, the nominated councillor, be present before the SC on February 19. The new list of office-bearers was released by the BJP on late Sunday evening.
Masih had been general secretary of the minority cell of the Chandigarh BJP since 2021. The Opposition had been alleging that Masih defaced the ballot papers on the directions of BJP, a charge the latter denied.
In the new minority cell of BJP, the general secretary’s position has now gone to Istekhar Ahmed.
BJP spokesperson Sanjeev Rana told The Indian Express, “It was decided by the party that any nominated councillor or councillor will not be a member of the cells or BJP units. So that is the reason. Otherwise, it has nothing do with any other issue.”
This story was originally published in indianexpress.com. Read the full story here.