Punjab unit of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday termed the “violent attack” on its “peaceful” rally at Malout a day before allegedly by Akalis a result of “deep rooted conspiracy hatched by the Badals and the police to suppress the emergence of an AAP wave sweeping Punjab”.
The party urged the Election Commission of India to immediately take suo motu cognisance of the “violent means being adopted by the Badal Government in Punjab, to vitiate the peace”, apprehending that “the junior Badal” — Deputy Chief Minister-cum-Home Minister Sukhbir Badal “will incite violence and try to rig the ensuing elections in 2017” with the help of Punjab police.
“Akali goondas armed with kirpans, lathis etc thronged the AAP rally pandal at Malout while party MP Bhagwant Mann was addressing the gathering. The said Akali goons unleashed violence in our pandal injuring our volunteers seriously. Unfortunately, the police acted as a mute spectator and did nothing to control the law and order situation,” said AAP spokesperson Sukhpal Singh Khaira.
He said that it was strange that while the Punjab police are present in large number during the political rallies of the ruling party and the Badal family, “they purposely made no appropriate security arrangements for our rally, so that Akali goons can freely attack our volunteers”.
“The entire violent episode of yesterday smacks of a deep-rooted conspiracy, hatched at the behest of the junior Badal in connivance with the police, to intimidate and threaten AAP leaders and volunteers. I apprehend that such like more incidents of violence in our political rallies and attacks on our leaders are likely to take place,” he said.
Khaira said that AAP was being targeted because the Badal-Majithia families see no threat from Capt Amarinder Singh and the Congress, who are playing a friendly match with them.
Khaira alleged that besides criminalising politics in Punjab, the Badal family was also responsible for polluting the electoral process of the state.
AAP warned the Punjab police to take strong actions against those who trespassed our pandal under sections 307, 452 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) etc.
In case, the “Punjab police fails to take concrete action against the Akali goons, it would be presumed that they are hand in glove with them and it would amount to their admittance of being part of the said conspiracy,” he added.