Again submitting evidence against Bathinda Congress candidate Amarinder Singh Raja Warring to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), the SAD on Monday urged that bribery charges against Warring be probed by a high level team while alleging that the Assistant Returning Officer (ARO) had been pressurized into giving a clean chit to him under political pressure of the ruling Congress dispensation.
SAD delegation, led by former ministers Jathedar Tota Singh and Daljit Singh Cheema, met Punjab Chief Electoral Officer Dr S Karuna Raju saying that it was unfortunate that officers were being browbeaten to give a clean chit to Warring despite the fact that videographic evidence of the entire incident was in public domain.
Cheema, handing over a pen-drive of the videos connected with the incident, said that Warring had indulged in corrupt practices by trying to bribe social worker Tinku Punjab. “Instead of acting on evidence, the Budhladha ARO had given a statement that the charge against Warring was false. The alacrity shown by the ARO to state that Warring has not indulged in any corrupt practice is disturbing. Such acts will erode people’s faith in the government,” he said while demanding that an immediate high level inquiry should be ordered to ensure justice in the matter.
Meanwhile, Jathedar Tota Singh called for action against officials of Dharamkot who were issuing summons to Akali workers and also threatening action against various social welfare clubs to force them to support the Congress party’s Faridkot candidate Mohammad Sadiq.
He urged the CEO to take action against Dharmkot sub-divisional magistrate-cum-returning officer Narinder Singh for issuing summons under Sections 107, 150 of the CrPC to the Akali workers in order to pressurize them to support the Congress party.
“Earlier during Block Samiti elections, a case was registered against 150 to 200 unidentified Congressmen for preventing Akali workers from entering Dharamkot SDM’s office after SAD complained to the State Election Commission. Instead of taking action against the Congress workers after identifying them, the SDM has started issuing summons to Akali workers to trap them in the case and force them to support the Congress candidate,” he alleged.
Akali leader also submitted the summons sent to Gurmit Singh of Gagra village and also submitted a formal complaint.
Also submitting a list of 75 Congress workers led by Dharamkot Municipal Council president Inderpreet Singh, who had used force to restrain Akali workers from entering the office of Dharamkot SDM during the Block Samiti elections, Singh appealed to the CEC to direct Moga SSP “to arrest all 75 Congress workers”.
He also requested that the summons issues to Akali workers in this case be cancelled and Dharamkot SDM be transferred for acting in a partisan manner.
In another complaint forwarded to the CEC, Jathedar Tota Singh said that various social clubs of Moga were being threatened with de-recognition and implication of their office bearers in false cases if they did not support Congress candidate Mohammad Sadiq, while forwarding the complaint of Shaheed Udham Singh Welfare Club, Kadarwala.
As per the complaint of the Club president Amritpal Singh, Dharamkot BDPO Sukhwinder Singh had issued a notice to him and had informally told him that a false case of misutilisation of grant would be registered against him if he did not support the Congress party.
The complainant said that similar notices and threats had been issued to other social clubs including Baba Moti Ram ji Club Bhagpur Gagra, Baba Jiwan Singh Club Dattewal, Baba Jiwan Singh Club Cheema and Baba Ajit Singh Club Lohara.