Citing gross poll code violations in all wards of the Patiala Municpal Corporation, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) – Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) combine has demanded immediate countermanding of the civic body elections.
In a mark of protest, the SAD-BJP delegation staged a dharna outside the office of State Election Commission when it allegedly failed to take any action even after photographic and vidoegraphic evidence of blatant rigging and violence in Patiala — the home town of Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh — as well as other parts of the state was brought to his notice by earlier submitting a memorandum to the State Election Commissioner Jagpal Singh Sandhu.
Demanding stern action against elected representatives and workers of the ruling Congress, the SAD sought countermanding of elections at all places where the gross poll code violations include booth capturing and poll violence were reported.
Former Akali Minister Daljit Singh Cheema, who led the SAD-BJP delegation, said that the Congress had murdered democracy in the State by using the police force to commit atrocities on the Akali-BJP cadre and the State Election Commission (SEC) had encouraged them by refusing to take any action against Congress goons as well as officers who were hand-in-glove with them.
Castigating the SEC for failing to perform its duty, the Akali-BJP delegation said that it seemed the SEC was under government pressure. “Even the Observers had teamed up with the Congress party and failed to report incidents of violence and booth rigging. This has vitiated the entire election process,” said the delegation members including BJP state secretary Vineet Joshi adding that the party would now take recourse of democratic protest as well as legal remedy.
The delegation said that its apprehensions about incidents of repression and booth capturing during the local body polls came true today with Congressmen taking over booths across the State after attacking Akali-BJP workers with the assistance of the police force. “Even women and media persons were not spared and that transparent videography of the process as directed by the High Court had not been done,” it added.
Giving details of incidents where SAD-BJP candidates and their family members and supporters were attacked by the Congressmen, Cheema said that a number of such incidents occurred in Patiala where even former SAD Mayor Amarinder Singh Bajaj was manhandled.
“In Mullanpur Dakha, SAD candidate’s mother was attacked and injured by Congress MlA Bharat Bhushan Ashu and Congress leader Dr Karan Waring. Similarly, SAD polling agents were attacked by the Congressmen in Sahnewal who barged into their booths with a group of outsiders,” he said.
“At Ghagga in Sangrur, local police resorted to repressive acts by arresting SAD candidates Balwinder Singh and his wife Darshana Devi, both of whom were contesting from ward number 12 and 13 respectively and also detained BJP candidate Jarnail Singh,” he said adding that when Akali leaders came to the aid of the beleaguered candidates, they were beaten up by both Congressmen and police personnel which led to the death of Akali worker Mahinder Singh.