SAD urges ECI to stop ruling Congress party from harassing and threatening its opponents through police force
Chandigarh: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Saturday urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to ensure free and fair election in four assembly constituencies of Punjab by stopping the ruling party from threatening and harassing SAD leaders and workers by misusing the State police as well as instructing all outsiders including Cabinet Ministers, MLA's and other Congress leaders not to remain present in all poll-bound assembly constituencies. SAD’s senior Vice president Dr. Daljit Singh Cheema while submitting a representation for the ECI to the Chief Electoral Officer here, said the ruling party was harassing SAD leaders and workers by conducting illegal midnight police raids on their houses in the Dakha assembly constituency. “Many incidents of terrorizing political leaders and workers have occurred in the last few days which proves the Congress government is oppressing Akali workers. He said large numbers of vehicles carrying bouncers were freely roaming in the constituency with policemen from other districts accompanying them to give a cover-up." “These outsiders have created an environment of chaos in the whole constituency by threatening SAD leaders and workers with dire consequences if they don’t vote and support the Congress candidate,” Dr. Cheema added. The SAD leader also pointed out that a large number of outsiders including Cabinet Ministers, MLAs, Chairmen and other senior leaders of the ruling Congress party were camping in the constituencies going to the polls. “They are provoking local workers to use illegal means in their polling booths. Such provocations could not only result in gross violations of the poll code but also are bound to vitiate the poll atmosphere in the constituency,” he warned. Dr. Cheema said apart from this the ruling Congress party had also prepared fake IDs of students studying abroad so that their bogus votes could be polled. “If this lawlessness is not checked in time there could be rampant booth capturing in the Dakha assembly constituency,” he cautioned the Election Commission. Also, Read | SAD demands action against CM’s Media Advisor for violating model code The SAD leader also urged the ECI to give charge of the SSP, Ludhiana (Rural) to a senior police official as the present SSP was toeing the line of the Congress party and had failed to maintain law and order in the poll-bound constituency. He also sought a complete ban on conducting illegal raids on SAD leaders and workers, besides stopping the ruling party from arresting its political rivals until the conclusion of the voting process. Dr. Cheema further told the ECI that the presence of central paramilitary was not seen on the ground in all four poll-bound constituencies in the state. He said the poll Chief Electoral Officer assured to deploy paramilitary forces across all four Assembly Constituencies. “Kindly ensure the deployment of paramilitary forces on all booths in all the four assembly constituencies with immediate effect,” he requested the ECI. The SAD leader also demanded the installation of video cameras outside the polling booths to stop intimidation of voters by the ruling party. -PTC News
