SAD asks EC to depute high powered team to Shahkot to ensure free and fair poll
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today asked the Election Commission to depute a high powered team to Shahkot to ensure free and fair poll following the arrest of SHO Mehatpur Parminder Singh Bajwa on cooked up charges.
In a statement here, SAD Spokesman Dr Daljit Singh Cheema in a communication to CEC Om Prakash Rawat said a party delegation had met him today morning and apprised him of efforts being made by the ruling Congress party to demoralize officials posted in Shahkot besides fear that the Mehatpur SHO could be arrested following detention. “These fears have come true. The SHO has been arrested on trumped up charges because he resisted pressure from the ruling Congress party and registered an illegal mining case aganst Shahpur by-poll Congress candidate Hardev Singh Laadi”.
Asking the EC to intervene in the matter immediately, the SAD leaders said this was necessary to instill faith in the electoral system amongst officials doing duty in Shahkot. “By arresting SHO Parminder Bajwa the Congress government has sent a clear message that it will persecute anyone who tries to go by the law tries to take action against the Congress candidate”.
Giving details of the case, Dr Cheema said the EC posted Parminder Bajwa to Mehatpur after calling for a panel from the State government. He said the SHO was forwarded a complaint received against Hardev Laadi by the EC and he registered a case against the Congress candidate based on the facts of the case as well as videographic evidence. He said immediately after this the SHO was sent on forced leave and his harassment started with inquiries being marked against him.
“Today Parminder Bajwa was detained for few hours and then a case was registered against him on cooked up charges”.
The Akali leader also brought it to the notice of the EC that SHO Parminder Bajwa had been awarded the DGP’s Commendation Disc in January 22 due to his outstanding policing achievements. He said however when this police officer registered a case against the Congress candidate as part of his official duty he was charged with being mentally unstable by the same government.
Asking the EC to intervene in the matter, Dr Cheema said it should direct the State government to make him re-join duty at Mehatpur to instill a sense of confidence amongst the voters of Shahkot as well as the entire police force. -PTC News
