Up in arms against the attack on Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate from Patiala, Dr Dharamvira Gandhi on Thursday, the party’s State unit put up a united front with party’s other candidates — HS Phoolka, Bhagwant Mann, Jassi Jasraj — too joining the dharna protest at Patiala.
Scores of AAP workers staged dharna outside the Deputy Commissioner office protesting against the assault allegedly by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) workers on Dr Gandhi that left him injured when the polling was underway on April 30, Wednesday.
Senior Supreme Court lawyer and AAP’s ludhiana candidate HS Phoolka, comedian-turned-politician and Sangrur candidate Bhagwant Mann; along with singer turned Bathinda candidate Jassi Jasraj joined Gandhi along with other party workers to protest against Akali’s goondagardi.
They maintained that the police have registered a case against local councillor Rajinder Singh Virk, but appropriate sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC) for murderous assaults (attempt to murder) were excluded from the first information report (FIR) indicating at the complicity of the police and ruling party SAD-BJP.
Urging the police authorities to protect Dr Gandhi and AAP workers apprehending threat to their life, AAP leaders alleged booth capturing, Akalis’ highhandedness and police inaction under the influence of ruling SAD-BJP regime.
Dr Gandhi also submitted a memorandum to Deputy Commissioner-cum-district returning officer (DRO) Priyanak Bharti demanding action against the Akali workers, who deliberately targeted the AAP workers.
AAP listed four incidents, where police failed to take action against Akali workers who attacked the AAP men. “Due to this inaction at the hands of police and administration, Virk felt confident and went to Rasoolpura Saidan around 2 pm and other polling stations, where he issued threats to workers, indulged in violence, bogus voting and booth capturing,” they stated.
They added that subsequent complaints were made about this but the administration and police failed to curb his activities and virtually gave him a free leash to continue despite repeated complaints. And, when Dr Gandhi reached, Virk and his men attacked him also.
The protesters demanded that Virk and his accomplice Akali workers should be booked for attempt to murder and other appropriate sections of the IPC for vitiating the electoral process. They also demanded re-poll in all the polling stations, where violence took place.