The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Wednesday accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of violating the model code of conduct by issuing misleading full-page advertisements with the aim of influencing the electorate in the forthcoming Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll.

SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema wrote to the chief election commissioner (CEC) as well as the Punjab chief election officer to apprise them of the manner in which the model code of conduct was being violated by the AAP government.

He also requested the commission to issue a reprimand to chief minister Bhagwant Mann and demanded that the public funds spent on the advertisements should be recovered from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

The SAD leader, in his complaint, also demanded action against officers who had violated the model code by releasing the advertisements. He also asked that instructions should be issued so that no advertisement was released by the state government till the completion of the poll process in Jalandhar.

“The AAP government was trying to influence the election process in Jalandhar by resorting to paid news, both in the electronic and print media. I call for the formation of a special committee to monitor paid news. SAD, on its part, has formed a committee under its legal cell president Arshdeep Singh Kler to monitor paid news,” Cheema said.