COURTESY HT FEB 3

Four injured as Akalis, Congmen clash; close shave for Sukhbir
Both parties accuse each other of orchestrating violence during filing of nominations at Jalalabad

An injured Akali worker; and (right) SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and party workers sitting on a dharna in Jalalabad on Tuesday. HT/PTI

An injured Akali worker; and (right) SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and party workers sitting on a dharna in Jalalabad on Tuesday. HT/PTI
Vishal Joshi

vishal.joshi@htlive.com

BATHINDA : Four people suffered bullet injuries on Tuesday after workers of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the ruling Congress clashed during the filing of nominations for the Jalalabad municipal council elections in Fazilka district.

SAD president and former Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal had a narrow escape when his SUV got caught in the clash at the tehsil office compound. Though he escaped unhurt, his vehicle was damaged in stone-pelting.

Police said leaders of both parties violated the election code by taking a large number of supporters for filing of nomination.

‘Mob was led by ruling party MLA’

The SAD chief, a Z+ protectee who was in his long-time political bastion to oversee the filing of nominations by his party leaders, alleged that a mob led by Congress’ Jalalabad MLA Raminder Singh Awala and his son Jatin Awala attacked the Akali workers.

“Three Akali workers were hit by bullets and several others got injured in the stone-pelting. Unprovoked violence was blatantly supported by the police who remained a mute spectator,” said Sukhbir, who represents the Ferozepur segment in the Lok Sabha, during a dharna in the Jalalabad town after the incident.

Eyewitnesses said several rounds of fire were opened accompanied by heavy stone pelting in the tehsile complex.

“Injuries to most of the activists were caused by bullet shrapnels. It was not known how the mob got hold of a huge number of stones in the campus,” said an eyewitness.

‘Sukhbir instigated supporters to attack us’

MLA Awala accused Sukhbir of inciting his supporters to attack the ruling party workers.

He claimed that at least one Congress activist suffered bullet injuries and more than six got head injuries in the stone-pelting. Several vehicles of the Congress workers, including his personal cars, were damaged, he added. “Though nominations for the nearby Arniwala civic body polls went on peacefully on Monday, Sukhbir today brought workers from other places to Jalalabad as a show of strength. It was the Akali workers who opened fire at our team and resorted to violence,” Awala said.

Leaders of both parties blamed each other for carrying firearms during electioneering that triggered the violence.

Fazilka SSP Harjeet Singh said a case of attempt to murder against unidentified persons was registered on the complaint of an Akali activist, Satinderjit Singh. “Both sides did not follow the protocol of visiting the election office with a limited number of candidates. The complainant has accused only the Jalalabad MLA and his son of opening fire at Akali workers,” said the SSP.

Congmen cannot face people: Majithia

AMRITSAR : SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia said the Congress workers took to violence in Jalalabad of Fazilka district on Tuesday as they were unable to face people on the basis of the Capt Amarinder Singh-led government’s poor performance in the last four years.

SAD asks paramilitary forces for civic polls

The SAD on Tuesday asked the state election commission (SEC) to requisition paramilitary forces immediately and deploy them across the state to ensure free and fair elections could be held to the municipal bodies.

A SAD delegation led by former minister Daljit Singh Cheema also apprised State Election Commissioner Jagpal Singh Sandhu about the attack on Akali workers and party president Sukhbir Singh Badal at Jalalabad