A severe political conflict has gripped Tijara in Rajasthan just ahead of the municipal council chairperson election. Eighteen Congress bloc councillors returning from a camp in Himachal Pradesh have allegedly gone missing, with the party directly accusing Haryana police of intercepting and detaining them. As the news reached Tijara, intense unrest unfolded across the town, prompting traders to shut down local markets while security forces established a massive deployment across all major intersections to prevent any deterioration of law and order.
Congress Stages Demonstrations in Tijara and Panchkula
The news of the councillors being stopped triggered prompt demonstrations by Congress leaders and party cadre. Former Tijara MLA Sandeep Yadav launched a sit-in demonstration in the town, demanding the immediate cancellation of the chairperson election due to alleged foul play. Amid these developments, claims later surfaced that Sandeep Yadav was taken into custody in Gurugram. Simultaneously, a bus and several accompanying vehicles were discovered stationary in the jurisdiction of Panchkula police station, prompting Congress leader Imran Khan to stage a protest on the ground in Panchkula.
Midnight Detentions Claimed at Chandimandir Toll Plaza
According to Congress, all 18 councillors were travelling back to Rajasthan specifically to cast their votes in the Tijara municipal council chairperson election. Party representatives stated that Haryana police intercepted the convoy late Sunday night near the Chandimandir (Surajpur) toll plaza. The party alleged that police personnel were armed with advance photographs of the councillors, identifying their faces one by one to segregate them from other traveling workers. Congress maintained that this was not routine vehicular checking but an orchestrated operation specifically aimed at taking the voting councillors out of circulation.
Ashok Gehlot Accuses State Leadership, Petitions Election Commission
Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot mounted a sharp offensive against the BJP and Haryana police, asserting that Tijara's Congress councillors were deliberately held in Panchkula to bar them from entering Rajasthan for polling. Gehlot alleged that Haryana authorities executed this action under directives from Haryana's chief minister at the behest of Rajasthan's chief minister.
Pointing to recent developments across the state, Gehlot recalled that an independent MLA was previously arrested in Hanumangarh, while several Congress councillors across Rajasthan were served notices by the police and the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). He termed the Tijara action a continuation of that coercive pattern. Demanding smooth and unhindered transit for all voting representatives, Gehlot urged the State Election Commission to intervene immediately and take necessary measures to protect democratic norms.
