Gunshots,fire,blood in Badal seat

“About 50 SAD workers (all outsiders),came inside the booth armed with a revolver and tried to capture it. When we protested,they opened fire in the air and also attacked us with bats and rods injuring many of us. A splinter from the revolver also hit one of our workers,” Jagtar Singh,a Congress leader alleged.

In protest,the Congress workers gathered outside the booth and pelted bricks and stones on the vehicles of SAD workers parked outside before setting them on fire,police sources said,adding that they resorted to a mild lathi charge on Congress workers.

IG Nirmal Singh Dhillon,said,“Congress workers pelted stones at the security forces following which the police had to fire in the air to control the situation. The Congress workers not only burnt the vehicles of SAD workers but also took several of them hostages. The police later booked several Congress workers.”

However,the Congress questioned the hostage theory given by the police.

Randhir Singh Dhera,a former youth Congress president of Lambi,said,“Our workers were outside the booth and SAD workers were inside. So how does the question of taking them hostage arise? We are not even being listened to by the police officials. First the SAD workers fired in the air and attacked us and later the police did the same. This is a biased action by the police.”

Nearly,65 per cent polling had taken at the booth before the clashes broke out. Amandeep Bansal,SDM Malaut,who was also the returning officer,said,“Nothing happened inside the booth,so there is no point in ordering the re-poll.”