Days after Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal’s convoy was stone pelted at Kandhwala Hazar Khan village in Jalalabad, a shoe was hurled at his father and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Wednesday by a relative of a radical Sikh leader during an election campaign at Ratta Khera village in lambi.
As the opposition parties describe it as “pent-up anger” of the State’s electorate, 89-year-old Badal maintained that the incident has proved beyond doubt that their opponents have lost the game and want to scuttle a peaceful, free and fair poll.
Police said 40-year-old Gurbachan Singh allegedly hurled the shoe towards Badal, which first hit security personnel and then touched Chief Minister’s turban.
“A man identified as Gurbachan Singh, a relative of a Sikh radical leader, hurled shoe at Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal,” said Muktsar senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Dhruman H Nimbale.
A security official guarding Badal tried to stop the shoe with his hand. “After hitting the security personnel, the shoe then touched the turban of CM,” Nimbale said, adding that there was no injury to Badal in this incident.
SSP said that the incident occurred at Ratta Khera village where Badal was busy in a public meeting during his election campaign. “CM was just getting up after completing his address when a shoe was hurled by Gurbachan towards him,” he added.
He was sitting in third row amid public, when all of sudden he threw the shoe at Badal which reportedly hit the latter's spectacles.
Gurbachan, brother of radical Sikh leader Amrik Singh Ajnala — parallel jathedar of Takht Keshgarh Sahib, was reportedly annoyed over desecration of Guru Granth Sahib. “He appeared to be upset over the sacrilege incidents which took place in Punjab,” said the SSP, adding that he had been nabbed, and a case will be registered against the accused.
The “shoe thrower”, voter of Rattakhera Chhota village, but presently residing at Jhurarkhera village in Abohar, was taken to Kabarwala police station.
Badal continued his programmes scheduled for the day, saying that there was “no protest” against us in Rattakhera village. “The man who threw shoe is an outsider, resident of Abohar. He is a relative of Amrik Singh Ajnala. The police will take its own action,” he added.
On Sunday, a group of people threw stones at the cavalcade of Deputy Chief Minister and SAD president Sukhbir Badal at Kandhwala Hazir Khan village in his constituency, Jalalabad, in Fazilka district, leaving four Akali supporters injured.
Reacting, Badal said: “Here is clear proof that our opponents have conceded defeat in these elections and are now resorting to such disruptive tactics.”
He, however, added that “as father figure in the state,” he would continue to walk the path of patience, peace and communal harmony for development and prosperity of my state.
“Behind such incidents are people who want to set Punjab on flames again and push the youth of Punjab back into the jaws of bloodshed and confrontation from which the people of the state have emerged after unspeakable sacrifices. These desperate elements have the backing of our political rivals who are increasingly turning desperate, seeing that all their tall talk and boastfulness about these elections has turned out to be mere day dreaming, and Punjab is set to vote SAD-BJP back for a third tenure in service of the people,” said Badal.
Badal added that the incident was just “one more attempt” by our opponents to deflect the people’s attention from the agenda of peace and massive all-round development being pursued vigorously by the SAD-BJP government over the past ten years.
“The person indulged in the incident is not even from lambi constituency, and is closely related to our political opponents who have no faith in the peaceful, democratic path,” he said.
Badal added that in his long life, he had faced far bigger challenges from elements backed by our political opponents. “But I have always had faith in my people. And this will continue on the path of peace, communal harmony and all round development of Punjab as long as I am alive,” he added.
OPPOSITION CONDEMN INCIDENT
Terming the incident as regrettable, Punjab Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh said that it was people’s pent-up anger coming to the fore. He urged the people to use the ballot to avenge themselves against Badals for the atrocities unleashed on them over the past 10 years.
Condemning the incident, Punjab Congress general secretary and party’s probable candidate from lambi Jagpal Singh Abulkhurana said that in case people have anger against any leader, they should show it through ballot.
BJP leaders Kamal Sharma and Vineet Joshi also condemned the incident saying these incidents should not be allowed.
lok Insaaf Party supremo Simarjeet Singh Bains said that the incident was resultant of pent up anger among people against the Badals’ misrule. “First, it was Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal and now senior Badal has faced the wrath of people.”
Punjab Vidhan Sabha’s former Deputy Speaker Bir Devinder Singh, condemning the incident, said that it was certainly a highly condemnable act.