Cong withdraws in protest from Fatehgarh Churian
Sunday, 12/05/2013
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130512/punjab.htm#2
Gurdaspur : Following rejection of nominations of its 14 candidates, the Congress today decided to withdraw candidates from all the 30 block samiti and four zila parishad zones under the Fatehgarh Churian assembly segment.
Addressing a press conference, Fatehgarh Churian Congress MLA Tripit Rajinder Singh Bajwa alleged the Batala SDM-cum-returning officer had rejected valid nomination papers of Congress candidates. He alleged despite the fact that the papers of these candidates were in order, the SDM raised "frivolous" objections to reject their nominations.
He also alleged the SDM had acted at the behest of a senior SAD leader of Fatehgarh Churian.
"The SDM claimed that the papers did not carry signatures of the candidates. We have photocopies to prove that the nomination papers were complete in all respects. We have decided to withdraw from the contest as there is no use fighting the SAD-BJP combine which was using unfair means to snub the opposition," he added.
He said the Batala police was acting in a partisan manner by asking only Congress supporters to deposit their firearms. "The police is not asking SAD workers to deposit their weapons. Akali supporters are openly brandishing guns. We fear these might be used in the elections on May 19," he said.
Bajwa claimed he had taken this decision after taking into confidence PPCC president Partap Singh Bajwa and Gurdaspur District Congress Committee president Sukhjinder Randhawa.
The development assumes significance as Fatehgarh Churian forms part of the Gurdaspur parliamentary seat, represented by MP Partap Singh Bajwa, who has all along been maintaining that the Congress will contest the elections "despite the high handedness of the Akalis."
Batala SSP Tulsi Ram denied Tripit Bajwa's allegations and said the police had asked all the arms licence holders to deposit their firearms, irrespective of their political affiliations. The Batala SDM could not be contacted for a comment.
