Not popular mandate but murder of democracy: Bajwa

“The registration of criminal cases against residents of the entire village is an attempt to gag the voice of the public. It is a telling story of terror created by the SAD-BJP government before and after the elections,” he alleged in a statement issued here.

Bajwa said Congress had taken the decision to fight the block samiti and zila parishad elections to safeguard the people’s faith in democracy and they have succeeded in their aim.

“We have defeated the design of SAD-BJP alliance and ensured the maximum possible participation of people. This is real victory for the people of Punjab,” Bajwa said.

He added that the SAD-BJP alliance leaders were free to celebrate their victory but Congress has serious concerns about the future of Punjab and mainly worried about the credibility of democratic institutions and eroding faith of people in the democratic process. He said he was saddened to see the decline in moral values and lack of accountability in ruling alliance leaders.

Cong workers lodge protest in Gurdaspur

Gurdaspur: Congress workers lodged a protest during the counting of votes in S D College for Girls in Gurdaspur on Tuesday,alleging that the number of votes in ballot boxes were more than the number of actual votes polled. The counting remained suspended for quite some time till Gurdaspur Deputy Commissioner Abhinav Trikha reached the counting centre.

Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) general secretary Fateh Jung Singh Bajwa alleged that government “misused” the official machinery and “broke all records of hooliganism and unfair means in the polls”.

He alleged that in ballot boxes of at least five booths in different Kahnuwan Zones in Qadian block,votes were found to be more than the polled votes. Fateh demanded an impartial probe. DC Abhinav Trikha,however,denied the charges.