AISAD alleges repression

PATIALA, Sept 10: Prof Prem Singh Chandumajra, general secretary of All India Shiromani Akali Dal AISAD and party candidate for Patiala...

PATIALA, Sept 10: Prof Prem Singh Chandumajra, general secretary of All India Shiromani Akali Dal AISAD and party candidate for Patiala Lok Sabha seat, today alleged that after seeing an anti-Badal government wave in the state during Lok Sabha elections, the repression against his party workers had increased on the instructions of the state government.

Talking to mediapersons here at his residence, he said it seemed that Badal and his party had conceded defeat well before the declaration of results of the recently held elections and had started reacting to their opponents, especially AISAD.

He alleged that on the directions of the state government, the police had registered false cases against AISAD workers. He said though he praised Patiala8217;s Deputy Commissioner and Senior Superintendent of Police SSP for smoothly conducting parliamentary elections in Patiala and maintaining neutrality during the whole period, but, he said, with the elections over, the police had started harassing the public by registering false police cases against them.

Giving examples, he said Patiala police had registered a case against four persons Gurpreet Singh Goldy, Hardev Singh, Kiratpal Singh and Harwinder Singh yesterday, though these persons had helped in catching a consignment of liquor, belonging to a ruling party candidate, a day before the elections.

In another case, he alleged, a supporter of AISAD, Sucha Singh, numberdar of Rajala village, was arrested by the police yesterday though his son was assaulted by Shiromani Akali Dal SAD members. Later, he himself was assaulted in hospital by the same persons. He further said that in Kangha village, some persons assaulted his party workers but the police had failed to take any action even after a formal complaint had been made.

Chandumajra alleged that Deputy Superintendent of Police DSP Moonak also tried to help Shiromani Akali Dal during the elections and ordered a lathi charge against AISAD workers there. In another case, he alleged, Deputy Superintendent of Police rural, Patiala, had also tried to help the state government by not allowing the setting up of a polling tent of AISAD at Bahadurgarh on the day of election. He said a similar incident was repeated at Resoolpur Jorian village also.

He also condemned the incidents that had occurred at Ferozepur and Kotakpura, where son of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Sukhbir Singh Badal, allegedly slapped a photographer.

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He said the party had decided to send a delegation to New Delhi to meet the Chief Election Commissioner where it will provide a list containing the names of those officials who had helped the state government during the elections by misusing their official positions. He said the party had already sent faxes to the Chief Election Commissioner and Punjab Governor regarding this matter.

He said AISAD had also called upon all the anti-government parties to unite against state repression by the state police and a meeting was also called at Chandigarh next week. He said the party will also take a decision to observe an anti-repression day soon.