Arrest culprits, demands Cong
Thursday, 09/05/2013
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130509/punjab.htm#2
Hundreds of Congress leaders, including MLAs, former ministers and hundreds of party workers today gathered at Goluke village under the leadership of Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Leader Sunil Jakhar to hold a protest against the “attack” on Congress workers yesterday.
They blocked the Ferozepur-Fazilka road for hours together. Addressing the protesters, Jakhar asked the state government to immediately arrest the Akali leaders involved in the incident, including those who had threatened MLA Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi that he would be eliminated.
Jakhar warned that if the police failed to register an FIR and arrest the culprits, he and Rana Sodhi would court arrest as a mark of protest. Jakhar said keeping in view the deteriorating law and order situation in the state, it was time that Badal Senior (CM Parkash Singh Badal) intervened and reined in his party workers.
Rana Sodhi said the state government should ensure his safety as he faced a serious threat to his life at the hands of Akali henchmen. He said the protest would continue till those behind yesterday’s violence were taken to task.
Among those who participated in the protest were Congress MLAs Karan Brar, Parminder Singh Pinki, Joginder Singh, Bharat Bhushan Ashoo, Amarinder Singh “Raja Waring”, Ajaib Singh Bhatti and Rakesh Pandey and senior leaders Hans Raj Jossan, Kushaldeep Dhillon, Avtar Singh Brar,Gurchet Singh Bhullar, Sukhwinder Singh Danny and Mohinder Rinwa.
Later, a Congress delegation met the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Ferozepur, and asked him to book the Akali leaders.
Mann denies charges
Akali leader Vardev Singh Mann said the charges levelled by Rana Sodhi were baseless. Mann said the Congress was running away from the Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections and ,hence, resorting to such gimmicks. “The Congress can get the incident probed by any agency, if they are not satisfied with a police inquiry,” Mann said.
He claimed that Returning Officer Manjit Singh, the Deputy Superintendent of Police and the Station House Officer were at the spot at the time of the incident but none had heard a hot being fired.
