On DSGMC poll eve, liquor seized from gurdwara, Sarna kin’s house

2 cases under Excise Act registered, but no arrest made, gurdwara body compiles report

CHANDIGARH: Liquor was seized from a number of places, including from a gurdwara, on the eve of voting for the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), on Saturday.

Such a seizure was made from a house in West Punjabi Bagh owned by a relative of Shiromani Akali Dal (Delhi) president Paramjit Singh Sarna, who is contesting from the Punjabi Bagh segment. Sarna, who is hoping to come back to power by unseating the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal), said the liquor was for the family’s personal consumption.

The family, Sarna said, owns businesses and is based in Asansol, West Bengal, and also has a house in Delhi. “They are here to support me in the polls, and the search of their house at the behest of Manjinder Singh Sirsa (general secretary of outgoing DSGMC) is unfair. I demand a search of Sirsa’s house too, because huge quantity of liquor is stored in his house,” Sarna told HT. Election officials denied having searched the house of Sarna’s relative. Sirsa, a SAD (Badal) candidate, is contesting against Sarna and both live in the same area.

Sirsa told HT that he got information that the Sarna camp was storing liquor in a relative’s house, and when he reached outside the house the information proved true, as liquor was transported in a Bolero vehicle. “It is shameful that in polls for a religious body liquor was distributed,” he said. Reports of liquor seizure from other places including in Hari Nagar was also reported. Police said six boxes of liquor were sized from the gurdwara in Vivek Vihar of East Delhi after residents complained.

Director, gurdwara elections, Shurbir Singh said a report was being compiled. He also said that two cases under the Excise Act were registered, but no arrest wasmadesofar.

SAD (BADAL) FOUND DISTRIBUTING BUCKETS

Shurbir Singh also informed that candidates of SAD (Badal) were found distributing buckets — which is their poll symbol — among voters. “We have registered a case and have also seized a large number of buckets that were to be distributed among voters,” he said.

He added that, keeping in view the law and order situation, the number of hyper-sensitive polling stations was increased to 63 and sensitive to 116. Earlier the number was 56 and 111, respectively. Most of these polling stations are located in West Delhi.

Polling will take place from 8 am to 5 pm at 560 polling stations across Delhi. Counting will take place on March 1.

› The liquor at my relative’s house was for personal consumption. I demand a search of Manjinder Singh Sirsa’s house too, because huge quantity of liquor is stored in his house. PARAMJIT SINGH SARNA, SAD (Delhi) president › After a tipoff, I reached outside the house and saw liquor being transported in a Bolero vehicle. It is shameful that in polls for a religious body liquor was distributed. MANJINDER SINGH SIRSA, general secretary, DSGMC