Akali ‘bullying’: Cong boycotts polls in 5 civic bodies of Rampura Phul block

Monday, 16/02/2015

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BATHINDA: Two days after the murder of an Akali worker, district rural Congress has decided to boycott the elections in five municipal councils and nagar panchyats falling in the Rampura Phul block, including the native village of Captain Amarinder Singh, to protest the alleged bullying by Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).

“Our candidates were slapped in front of the tehsildar when they went to his office at Phul to file nomination papers on Friday. They were dragged outside the office in the presence of the DSP rank police officer by workers of the SAD. None other than cabinet minister and MLA from Rampura Phul Sikander Singh Maluka was behind this design of not allowing Congress candidates to contest the elections,” said Congress Malwa zone vice-president Gurpreet Singh Kangar, at a press conference here on Sunday.

A close confidant of Captain Amarinder Singh, Kangar alleged that the bullying against Congress candidates took place at the Phul court on the same day when an Akali worker Gurbir Singh Goldy was allegedly killed by Lakhbir Singh alias Lakha Sidhana and others. Rampura Phul is no exception to election violence. Incidents of violence take place here during every election.

Three Congress candidates who filed papers for Mehraj Nagar panchyat have been falsely booked for the murder of the Akali worker, the Congressmen alleged. “Three of our candidates from Mehraj village have been booked in the murder case. It is only to demoralise Congress workers. Those booked included Tarsem Singh, Gurpreet Singh Beera and Ranjit Nambardar, all three Congress candidates from Mehraj,” said Kangar

“First our candidates were beaten up and now they have been booked for the murder. So, we have decided to boycott the municipal and nagar panchyat elections in Rampura Phul block. The Congress will not contest elections in Rampura Phul, Bhagta, Maluka, Kotha Guru Ka and Mehraj panchayat,” said Kangar.

He said, “Government machinery is only following orders of the SAD leaders and there is no security for Congress candidates. We find no sense in risking lives of Congress workers, especially when we knew that elections have been converted into a drama.”

He said, “I personally never shared any stage with PPP leader Lakha Sidhana even during parliamentary elections when the Congress was contesting in alliance with the People’s Party of Punjab. Neither I nor the Congress party and its workers have any link with Sidhana. But, the police have been harassing us only on the orders of their political masters.”

“There was also a plot to kill me on the day I filed nomination papers. My security was taken back in advance as part of a conspiracy,” alleged Kangar.

PAPERS OF CONGRESS CANDIDATES REJECTED

In Maluka nagar panchyat, where Congress fielded candidates on all seats. all their nomination papers were cancelled on the reason that none had deposited the ‘chulha’ tax. Many ineligible Akali candidates could file papers,” said Congress leader Gora Singh Tungwali.