As Punjab prepares for by-elections in four assembly seats, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) faced a potential setback in Gidderbaha on Sunday. Speculation is rife that senior SAD leader and constituency in-charge Hardeep Singh ‘Dimpi’ Dhillon, might leave the party due to his dissatisfaction over not being announced as the candidate for the upcoming by-election.
Despite Dhillon’s strong presence in Gidderbaha, where he narrowly lost the 2022 election by just 1,349 votes to sitting MLA and Congress’ state unit president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, SAD has yet to officially name him as its candidate. This delay has reportedly caused friction, leading to rumours of Dhillon's possible exit from the party. However, Dhillon has previously dismissed such rumours, asserting his loyalty to SAD.
Gidderbaha has historically been a stronghold for SAD, with the party dominating the seat for decades until 2012. The recent electoral history, however, has seen Congress maintaining control. With Raja Warring now an MP and having resigned from the Gidderbaha seat, the upcoming by-election is crucial for SAD to regain its footing.
In response to the rumours, SAD spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema dismissed the speculations as baseless, reiterating the party's full trust and support in Dhillon. He emphasized that SAD has no intention of fielding any other candidate from a different party in Gidderbaha and urged Dhillon to disregard any misleading propaganda.
Cheema also highlighted that SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal has consistently advocated for Dhillon as the best candidate, and the delay in the official announcement is merely due to ongoing feedback collection from party workers.
He further appealed to Dhillon to remain with SAD, assuring him that the entire party, including the president, stands firmly by his side. The party expected Dhillon to honour the sentiments of the workers and continue his association with SAD, especially as the by-election approaches.
With Gidderbaha being a significant constituency for SAD, the party's leadership is keen to avoid any internal discord and is working to ensure Dhillon remains their candidate.
Pastor, 8 others Beat Man to Death in Gurdaspur to “Exorcise Devil”
PNS/Gurdaspur
In a shocking incident from Gurdaspur, a 30-year-old man was beaten to death by a pastor and eight others who claimed that they were performing an exorcism to rid him of a devil. The victim, Samuel Masih, a resident of Singhpura village, had been suffering from seizures and frequent outbursts, which led his family to seek the pastor’s help. The brutal attack, which took place on Wednesday, ended in Samuel’s death, and has since led to a police investigation and public outrage.
Samuel, a daily labourer, had reportedly been experiencing severe health issues that led his family to invite local pastor Jacob Masih to conduct a prayer session at their home. According to the police, the pastor declared that Samuel was possessed by a devil. Misguided by this belief, the pastor and his accomplices began to violently assault Samuel, asserting that this would drive the supposed devil out of him. Despite their assurances that nothing would happen, Samuel succumbed to his injuries almost immediately.
The following day, Samuel’s family buried him, believing that the pastor’s assurances were genuine. However, two days after the incident, Samuel’s mother and wife decided to lodge a formal complaint against the pastor. Authorities intervened by exhuming Samuel’s body on Saturday for a post-mortem examination, supervised by duty magistrate Inderjit Kaur.
The police have registered a case against Pastor Jacob Masih and eight other individuals involved under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The tragic incident highlighted the dark side of superstitious practices and underscored the need for greater awareness and education on mental health and medical care. The community and law enforcement officials are now grappling with the implications of this senseless act of violence.
