Lambasting the Congress party for “blatantly misusing civil and police machinery to capture booths besides unleashing violence against the opposition to intimidate voters during voting for the municipal bodies”, the Shiromani Akali Dal. (SAD) on Sunday filed a complaint with the State Election Commissioner demanding countermanding of elections at all places where there had been large scale booth capturing and violent incidents.
Former Minister and SAD spokesman Daljit Singh Cheema said that Congress goons not only captured booths but also attacked opposition candidates and their supporters wherever they were opposed by the opposition and the general public.
Citing incidents, the SAD leader said that gunshots were fired in Patti in Tarn Taran district, SAD supporters were injured with sharp weapons in Ropar and Fatehgarh Churian, booths were captured in Muktsar, Rajpura, Samana, Sultanpur Lodhi, Dinanagar, Ferozepur, Bhikiwind, and an FIR was registered against Gauravdeep Singh Valtoha, son of senior SAD leader Virsa Singh Valtoha, and five others.
“Similarly policed raided the house of SAD candidate Jaswinder Kaur in ward number 26 in Khanna and registered a case against 13 members of the family including her husband. Same was done with Tej Chand Batra, SAD candidate from ward number 18 in Muktsar, who was booked in an abduction case,” said Cheema adding that the situation was such that Congress goons openly tossed turbans of SAD workers and let loose a reign of terror but cases were registered against the victims.
AAP SEEKS CM’s RESIGNATION
Strongly condemning the capturing of booths and attacks on AAP workers by the Congress goons at various places across the State in the municipal bodies’ elections, AAP MLA and the Leader of Opposition in Vidhan Sabha Harpal Singh Cheema said that democracy was being killed across Punjab today by the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and the Congress goons backed by him.
“Capt Amarinder failed to deliver on his promises to the people and is now assassinating democracy. Realizing his personal responsibility, Capt Amarinder should resign from the post of Chief Minister,” he said.
He alleged that AAP volunteers have been attacked by Congress goons at many places. “A party volunteer was shot at in Patti while a volunteer was illegally arrested by the police. Similarly, in Tarn Taran, Rajpura, Fazilka, Ferozepur, Abohar, Jalalabad, Samana, Dhuri, Bhikhiwind and at many other places, the Congress goons tried to occupy the booths,” alleged Cheema while warning that the “Congress-backed officers, who instead of doing their duty honestly are working as Congress workers today, would be dealt with on the formation of AAP government in 2022”.
ALLEGED BOGUS VOTING IN MOGA
When 95-year-old Jal Kaur reached the polling booth, ward number 1 in Moga city, with the help of her grandsons, little did she know that she has already cast her vote. The same is with a 37-year-old Sarbjit Kaur. Even as both of them claimed that they have not exercised their franchise yet, the presiding officer did not allow them to vote.
Alleging that someone else has cast her vote, Jal Kaur said that the poll officers tactfully put ink on her finger to show that she has voted. Unhappy, Jal Kaur chose to sit on protest outside the polling booth demanding that she be allowed to cast a protest vote. However, the officers did not allow her to vote.
Notably, Congress MLA from Moga Dr Harjot Kamal’s wife, Dr Rajinder Kaur, is contesting the polls from ward number 1. Accusing Congress of bogus voting, SAD candidate Harwinder Kaur alleged that she has intercepted many youths from entering the polling booths.
BOOTH CAPTURED AT POLLING STATION IN RAJPURA
Around 40 unidentified miscreants allegedly captured a polling booth at Rajpura’s DAV School, that too in the presence of the police.
Some youth entered the polling booth at around 11.30 am and closed the gate of the polling station to prevent voters from voting. It was only after strong protest and objections by one of the candidates and other people present there that the police took out the miscreants from the booths.
For a brief time, the polling was stopped following the protests by one of the candidates and his supporters, but was resumed after the administrative officials reached the polling station and normalized the situation.
Some reports of violence and booth capturing were also reported from Nabha and Patran.
CONG ALLEGES BOOTH CAPTURING BY AKALIS IN MALOUT
Alleging booth capturing by the SAD workers, the Congress candidate from ward number 26 Captain Paramjit stated that he was pushed out of the polling station, and the Akalis, with the help of the police, locked the main entrance.
He alleged that Akali candidate, along with the police, have captured three polling booths. He also accused that a thanedar has taken Rs 20,000 bribe from the Akalis.
Later, when Punjab Vidhan Sabha Deputy Speaker and Malout legislator Ajaib Singh Bhatti reached the spot, the polling station was opened for voters.
Refusing to comment on the incident being a Deputy Speaker, Bhatti maintained that he would definitely write to the State Election Commission in this regard.
IN A FIRST POLLING BOOTH SCRAPPED, STAFF ASKED TO REPORT BACK
At an eleventh hour, a polling party was asked to return with the EVMs (electronic voting machines) and other poll material after being told that there were no registered voters at the polling booth — something that has happened for the first time in the recallable past.
As per the information available, a polling party was sent to booth number 42 in ward number 16, but later, they were asked to report back to the returning officer. The District Administration cited shifting of votes as a reason behind the move.
“All the votes of booth number 42 were shifted from ward number 16 to two others wards — 24 and 25 — as the number of votes in these wards were very less compared to other wards,” said the official.