Check out this quick roundup 📣 ## MP Arora insists helpline isn't a "war room," dismisses opposition claims
Ludhiana: SAD claims MP's office helpline poses a threat to security
After Rajya Sabha member Sanjeev Arora, accompanied by deputy commissioner Himanshu Jain, announced an emergency hotline for sharing information amidst the ongoing India-Pakistan tension, Shiromani Akali Dal's (SAD) Ludhiana West candidate Parupkar Singh Ghuman said he'd take it upon himself to petition the Election Commission for action against Arora and Jain, alleging they were jeopardizing national security by establishing a confidential hotline.
In a statement, Ghuman stated, "It's embarrassing that the DC shared a stage with Sanjeev Arora, who's the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) candidate for the Ludhiana West assembly constituency, to launch this hotline. Firstly, the DC didn't need to be there in the first place, and Secondly, Arora set it up in his private office instead of through the administration."
"If any confidential info leaks from this hotline, it'd be a breach of the Official Secrets Act. I'll press charges against the AAP candidate and the deputy commissioner if that happens," Ghuman continued.
Ghuman expressed concern over the establishing of the hotline by the AAP candidate and urged the DC to assert his authority and authorize only government-run hotlines. "We can't have the DC acting as a pawn for the AAP candidate," Ghuman added.
Ghuman live-streamed the issue, discussing it with staff members operating the hotline. He warned them that legal repercussions could follow if they continued their activities. The staff confirmed that the hotline was indeed set up within Arora's personal office, Ghuman noted.
MP Arora, however, countered the opposition's allegations, saying, "The hotline isn't a 'war room' like they claim. It's merely a means for people to seek our help. As a MP, I've always championed for the people. The opposition seems bent on stirring trouble because I'm contesting the Ludhiana West by-election."
Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Jain was unavailable for comment despite numerous attempts at reaching him.
Sources: - Sensitive Information Transfer Hinted by Ghuman: Official Secrets Act Threatened (The Tribune) - Tension Between India and Pakistan Escalates (India Today) - Air Travel Disruptions Across India's Northern and Western Regions (The Hindu)
- Parupkar Singh Ghuman, a candidate from Shiromani Akali Dal, threatened to petition the Election Commission against Rajya Sabha member Sanjeev Arora and Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Jain, accusing them of jeopardizing national security by establishing a confidential hotline.
- Ghuman argued that the DC should not have shared a stage with Arora, a candidate from the Aam Aadmi Party, to launch the hotline and criticized the decision to set it up in Arora's private office.
- Ghuman warned that any leak of confidential information from the hotline could result in a breach of the Official Secrets Act, and he vowed to press charges against Arora and the DC if such an event occurred.
- Ghuman live-streamed the issue and warned staff operating the hotline that they could face legal repercussions if they continued their activities.
- In response to the allegations, MP Arora insisted that the hotline was not a "war room" but merely a means for people to seek help, stressing his history of championing for the people.
- The ongoing political debate surrounding the hotline comes at a time of heightened tension between India and Pakistan, and it has been reported in policy-and-legislation, politics, general-news, and business sectors, as well as local Rudhiana West constituency news.
