Congress murdered democracy by indulging in Violence and booth capturing: SAD
Congress killed democracy, booth capturing in Ludhiana MC polls: SAD. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) asserted the ruling Congress party had murdered democracy by resorting to widespread violence and intimidation accompanied with booth capturing and polling of bogus votes during elections to the Ludhiana municipal corporation today. In a statement here, SAD spokesman Dr Daljit Singh Cheema said it was shocking that Congress leaders including Ludhiana mp Ravneet Singh Bittu and legislators including Bharat Bhushan Ashu led mobs of Congressmen into booths to drive out SAD polling agents and indulge in bogus voting. “The SAD complained about the manner in which Bittu and Ashu went around the city accompanied with police personnel and Congress workers and hired hoodlums and indulged in goondaism but neither the local administration in Ludhiana nor the State Election Commission (SEC) took any action in this regard. The Ludhiana police not only was a mute spectator to this goondaism but also assisted Congress workers in forcefully removing Akali agents from booths and even scaring off Akali voters”. Giving details, the former minister said incidents of violence and intimidation of SAD workers started yesterday itself when Congressmen attacked and vandalized the car of SAD ward number 36 candidate Jagbir Singh Sokhi and injured him and three of his associates. He said instead of taking any action against those attacking Sokhi, a case was registered against the SAD candidate. “Emboldened by this Congressmen today indulged in stone throwing to drive out Akali workers and even attacked a reporter at the Nirmal school polling booth in the same ward”. Dr Cheema said in ward 72 Congress legislator Bharat Bhushan Ashu openly threatened SAD workers and people accompanying him indulged in bogus voting. Dr Cheema said in ward number 38 Congress workers broke a video camera installed there by the SAD after taking due permission. He said around 100 workers also entered four separate booths in this ward and indulging in bogus voting. The Akali leader said in ward 46 also a video camera was snatched and taken away even as Congressmen entered two booths, drove out SAD agents and indulged in bogus voting after locking the main gate. The SAD leader said Congress hoodlums also entered three booths set up at Ewing Christian School in ward number 54. Besides this he said in ward 67 polling agents of the SAD were forcefully evicted from three booths following which Congress workers indulged in bogus voting. Similarly in ward 71 SAD workers were manhandled by Congress hoodlums. He said bogus voting was also done by Congress workers in three booths in ward number 36, another three booths in ward number 67 and two booths in ward number 12. -PTC News
