Hindustan Times (Chandigarh)

Book Muktsar SSP for helping goons capture booths: SAD

- HT Correspond­ent

CHANDIGARH:THE Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Thursday demanded that Muktsar senior superinten­dent of police (SSP) Manjit Singh Dhesi be booked and suspended as cops in the district helped Congress workers in booth capturing during the zila parishad and panchayat samiti polls on Wednesday.

Addressing a press conference in Chandigarh, SAD leaders Bikram Singh Majithia, Maheshinde­r Singh Grewal and Daljit Singh Cheema said the Muktsar SSP is a brother of the chief minister’s politicall­y appointed officer on special duty (OSD) Sonu Dhesi and he gave directions to the district police to help Congress workers capture booths.

“Dhesi led the Congress charge in the district and this is the reason why of a total of 53 booths where re-polling has been ordered, 36 are in Muktsar district and 11 in the Lambi constituen­cy alone,” said Grewal.

The Akali leaders alleged that the SSP is biased towards the Congress to the extent that no case was registered against a single worker or officer despite large-scale booth capturing.

“The SSP should be punished for allowing gangsters have a free run in Muktsar district. Former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal went to Killianwal­i in Muktsar upon getting informatio­n about booth capturing. He called up the director general of police (DGP) eight times and the inspector general of police (IG) twice, but to no avail.

“Though the DGP talked to him (Badal) but failed to do anything. Muktsar SSP’S phone was switched off. The IG said he was out of station. After failing to get any word from police, Badal saab accompanie­d by SAD president Sukhbir Badal chose to go to people,” said Grewal. He said a false

SAYS PARTY CHIEF SUKHBIR WILL NOT FILE FOR ANTICIPATO­RY BAIL IN ‘POLITICAL VENDETTA’ CASE

case was registered against the SAD president at the behest of the SSP only and no medical report was prepared even as the sections of grievous hurt were added to the FIR. Grewal said Sukhbir will not file for anticipato­ry bail in the case which he termed as political vendetta.

POLL PANEL ABDICATED RESPONSIBI­LITY: BADAL

Former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal on Thursday termed the manner in which zila parishad and panchayat samiti polls were conducted as “brutal and broad daylight murder of democracy” in the state.

In a statement, Badal said the “lawlessnes­s and criminalit­y” witnessed on Wednesday should finally open the eyes of those who thought his earlier warnings about impending violence in Punjab were a mere ruse.

 ?? HT PHOTO ?? SAD leaders Daljit Singh Cheema, Maheshinde­r Singh Grewal and Bikram Majithia at a press conference in Chandigarh.
HT PHOTO SAD leaders Daljit Singh Cheema, Maheshinde­r Singh Grewal and Bikram Majithia at a press conference in Chandigarh.

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