Ahead of the impending Delhi Assembly elections, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are engaged in bitter war of words over the influx of Punjab cars and cops in the capital, prompting the former to raise security concerns in the poll-bound city.
On Wednesday, BJP candidate Parvesh Verma drew attention towards Punjab vehicles plying in the national capital and questioned their motive.
He claimed that these Punjab vehicles are particularly operating in the New Delhi area, the constituency where he is taking on former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in the direct contest.
"Hundreds of vehicles with Punjab number plates are plying in the capital, ahead of the Republic Day celebrations. Why have they entered Delhi at such a critical time? Their illegal presence is a concern for Delhi's security," Parvesh Verma told the press.
He also claimed that they are installing Chinese CCTV cameras to cover up the failures of the AAP government and mislead the voters of the constituency.
The AAP has hit back at the poll code violation charge by the BJP candidate and called it an insult to the Punjabi community.
Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann said that Delhi is the country's heart and every citizen has the right to visit it and therefore such baseless and mala fide remarks are meant to belittle and demean the contribution of Punjabis.
"This statement is extremely worrying and insulting to Punjabis. They are marking vehicles with Punjab number plates and asking why vehicles from Punjab are plying in Delhi. They are saying as if Punjabis are a threat to the security of the country. This is extremely insulting to me and every Punjabi in the country," said CM Mann on X, while adding that every Punjabi is feeling extremely pained and insulted.
Kejriwal also hit back at BJP's claims and accused the latter of insulting the sacrifice of the Punjabi community, living in Delhi for decades.
Meanwhile, Congress candidate Sandeep Dikshit echoed similar concerns and claimed that photos of Punjab Police campaigning for AAP have come to his notice.
Dikshit said that he requested the area SHO to take cognisance of the matter and act urgently against such flagrant violations of the model code of conduct.