Dakha bypoll: Majithia, party workers gherao police station, submit list of ‘vendetta cases’

Majithia asked the SSP as to why raids were conducted and FIRs registered in the past one week only. “Police force of seven districts has been raiding homes of our workers without a reason and Congress is using entire police machinery to win Dakha by hook or crook. Houses of Akali workers are being raided midnight on frivolous charges and police are even misbehaving with women. Is this how Congress wants to win this poll? All this is happening under your nose,” said Majithia to SSP.

Displaying the list of cases, Majithia said, “A 60-year old farmer Kamaljit Singh from village Sahauli, who fives scholarship to poor children from his pocket, has been booked for stealing a mobile phone of a labourer because he is an Akali supporter. Hari Singh, a rich farmer from village Kotman who owns a farmhouse, has been booked in a false case by Sidhwan Bet police. Similarly two FIRs have been registered falsely against SAD workers for tearing posters and several others are being detained in illegal raids by Ludhiana rural and other districts police”.

Majithia was accompanied by party candidate Manpreet Singh Ayali, spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema and senior leader Maheshinder Grewal.

Offering his arrest, Ayali said, “Arrest me and my family, but spare our party workers. Stop harassing our them by conducting midnight raids at their homes.” He said that if police hooliganism wasn’t stopped, he along with his family will offer their arrest on Saturday again and Akali workers will not allow police to enter villages. “If this doesn’t stop, police will be responsible for what happens next,” he said.

Hitting out at the chief minister, he said, “Captain (Amarinder Singh) has fielded a fake Captain (Sandeep Sandhu) but people of Dakha will teach both a lesson on October 21.”

Cheema alleged that while police was arresting innocent Akali workers, the “real hooligans” are posing for photos with Congress ministers. Submitting some photos taken from social media account of cabinet minister Vijay Inder Singla, Cheema said, “The man posing with him is Shingara Singh who was booked in two FIRs for tearing ballot papers in panchayat polls.”

Meanwhile, Ludhiana rural SSP Sandeep Goel said that no Akali worker has been detained illegally. “If we are arresting someone, it is based on FIRs registered against that person. We haven’t detained anyone illegally. We are committed to ensure free and fair polling in Dakha,” he said.

Bains too submits complaint to ECI

Meanwhile, Lok Insaaf Party (LIP) chief and MLA Simarjeet Singh Bains too submitted a written complaint to the Election Commission of India (ECI) Friday alleging that Congress government has “issued clear instructions to police and civil administration to ensure party win in Dakha and three other seats” going to bypolls in Punjab.

“CM has given specific directions to police and administration. He has issued instructions to allow booth capturing and violence by Congressmen wherever position of party candidate is not good. There is strong apprehension that these bypolls will be marred by booth capturing, rigging and violence,” reads the complaint.