Violence marred Punjab panchayat polls, several injured

| | Chandigarh
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Violence marred Punjab panchayat polls, several injured

Thursday, 20 September 2018 | PNS | Chandigarh

Punjab panchayat polls on Wednesday were marred by the reports of firing incidents, clashes, dharnas, protests and boycott, amidst opposition parties’ allegations of large scale booth capturing, bogus voting, and blatant “misuse of official machinery” by the ruling Congress party, leaving many injured in separate incidents.

Throwing ample light on the conduct of elections are two incidents, in Dera Bassi and Dhuri, wherein the presiding officer himself was caught stamping ballot papers.

The voting took place between 8 am and went on even after 4 pm at some places. The counting of votes will now take place on September 22.

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have accused the ruling party of indulging in large scale booth capturing and use of power across the state.

While SAD termed it as “electoral fraud”, AAP maintained that Congress has left behind the old-time’s Bihar in crushing the democracy with its goondaism.

To keep a check on the situation, former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his SAD president son Sukhbir Badal toured various places during the polling process.

Badal, who was among the first ones to cast his vote in his village Lambi, claimed that he has started receiving reports of booth capturing with large number of Congress workers brandishing swords. He also accused the police of being “a mute spectator”.

“Booth capturing is taking place and as an MLA, I will not tolerate this in my area. Police is not performing its duty. What kind of elections are these, where booths are captured and nomination papers of Akalis are rejected,” he asked.

SAD alleged that more than 60 incidents of booth capturing were reported during the polling. Party senior vice-president Daljit Singh Cheema and former minister Bikram Majithia said that cases were registered against Akali candidates under the SC Act, mostly in Majha region.

It also alleged bogus votes were polled at some locations. “In Dera Bassi, the presiding officer himself got ballot papers stamped in favour of Congress candidates. A packet was seized from his possession by the Akali polling agent,” alleged Cheema.

He added that in another incident in Dhuri, the presiding officer closed down the booth and started stamping the ballot papers in favour of Congress candidates. “This happened in Kumbarwar under Sherpur block samiti,” he added.

Reports are received that Congressmen run away with ballot papers from polling station at Bhitiwala village in Lambi, he said.

In Moga, an Akali worker was injured in an attack by masked men at Machine village polling booth. The masked group tried to capture polling booth. Another attempt of booth capturing was reported at Demru Khurd village. There was no loss to the polling process, and the ballot papers remained safe at both places, said the officials.

Clashes between Congress and Akali workers were also reported from Rajasansi in Amritsar, Jhoke Harihar in Ferozepur, Lodhi Gujjar in Ajnala and Sohia Kalan in Majitha. During the clashes, members of both factions pelted stones at each other and used sticks as weapons causing minor injuries to a few.

A clash was reported between SAD and Congress workers at Gilzewala village in Gidderbaha. Police rescued SAD’s Gidderbaha constituency in-charge Hardeep Singh Dimpy Dhillon, and his brother, amidst the stone pelting by workers of both the parties. Polling also stopped for a few minutes.

A firing incident was reported at Dulewal village in Bathinda in a clash between Congress and SAD workers. At Midda village in Bathinda, there were reports of a car being damaged. Similar report of car being damaged was also reported at Killianwali village.

Badal had also visited Killianwali village, where a large number of Congress workers were allegedly present holding sticks. The former Chief Minister said that during the poll process, he remained in touch with the DGP and other senior police officers.

Akali workers raised slogans against the police and Congress Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot after changes in voter list. Many voters claimed that their names were missing from the new list being used for the polls.

In Bathinda, former Minister and senior SAD leader Sikander Singh Maluka accused the Congress workers of booth capturing at Kangar, Bhai Rupa and Salabatpura. SAD workers, led by Maluka, blocked Bhagta Bathinda Road to register their protest against the Congress.

Also, 10 people were rounded up with weapons and cartridges from Manjinder Singh Bittu's hotel in Muktsar. Bittu is the son of Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh, and is contesting the Zila Parishad election from Udekaran zone.

A total of 17,268 polling booths were set up, 35 observers appointed and around 50,000 police personnel were deployed for the polls in Punjab.

The opposition parties had already expressed fear of “large-scale booth capturing”, claiming that the Congress party wanted to win the polls “by hook or by crook”.

A total of 354 Zila Parishad and 2,900 Panchayat Samiti members are to be elected in elections to 22 Zila Parishads and 150 Panchayat Samitis in the state.

Thirty three candidates were earlier elected unopposed to various Zila Parishads and 369 nominees were elected unopposed to the Panchayat Samitis.

There are a total of 1,27,87,395 registered voters in Punjab, comprising 60,99,053 women and 97 third-gender voters.

A video of SAD president Sukhbir Badal’s security guards charging at some persons at Killianwali has also gone viral. Defending, SAD leader Bikram Majithia said that they were trying to catch those who were capturing the booths in the village.

Congress leader Cheema has accused that papers of 249 of SAD candidates were rejected. In Makhu, Zira, Guru Har Sahai and Patti and Dera Baba Nanak, either SAD candidates were not allowed to file nominations or Congress men snatched their papers and ran away, he alleged.

POLLS RIGGED, SEC BIASED, TO APPROACH HC: SAD

SAD on Wednesday announced that it has decided to approach the Punjab and Haryana High Court to protect its democratic right to vote and contest in the polls which was virtually denied in the just-concluded Zila Parishad and Samiti polls.

The party alleged that the polls were rigged on large scale by the Congress goons sponsored by legislators and ministers under police protection.

“As per preliminary reports, 62 polling booths have been captured besides Congress men resorting to bogus voting, large scale violence and threatening the presiding officers with their muscle power,” said Cheema and Majithia.

“Such was widespread mayhem that 90-year-old former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had to rush polling booths in his constituency where the presiding officers confirmed before media that Congress leaders had stormed the booth and he was a helpless spectator,” said Majithia.

SAD leaders said that the State Election Commissioner has forfeited his authority as he miserably failed to conduct free and fair elections and had little control of the state machinery and police apparatus which let itself to be abused under the Congress ministers.

In the process of booth capturing, the Congress musclemen hit Akali workers and others who dared to resist and resorted to firing in Dullewal village in Bathinda district where a  girl was seriously injured and hospitalized in precarious condition while Congress goon hit an Akali worker and caused grievous head injury, they alleged.

They also alleged that the Congress groups led by ministers, legislators or Congress leaders descended on the polling booths in large numbers to cast large number of bogus votes and then the herd moved to other booth and used violence if there were any resistance from Akalis or any common voter.

“This scared away the voters, especially women and senior citizens, from the booths,” said Majithia adding that this was clearly reflected in the low voters’ turnout.

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