Sporadic violence reported in Majha
AMRITSAR : Amid sporadic incidents of violence in around 30 villages, 73 per cent voting was recorded in Majha region, comprising Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Pathankot and Gurdaspur districts.
Gurdaspur and Pathankot witnessed 82% polling each, while 68% votes were polled in Amritsar and 60% in Tarn Taran district.
The voting started at 8am and despite severe cold, voters of all age groups had started queuing up outside the polling booths.
In Amritsar district, minor incidents of violence were reported in around 10 villages. At Ladeh village in Rajasansi block of the district, around 15 unidentified men forced their entry into the polling station and tore 403 of the 696 ballot papers. After this, supporters of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) staged protest in the village and raised slogans against the ruling Congress. Re-polling has been ordered in the village.
In Dhupsari and Toor villages of Ajnala Tehsil, the supporters of SAD raised slogans against the ruling Congress, alleging booth capturing. The SAD workers also demanded re-polling from the election commission.
Situation in Ajnala tehsil’s Chaharpur village became tense as two groups pelted each other with stones, leaving a person injured.
Akali workers in Naushehra village of Verka block staged a protest outside the polling station, alleging that fake votes were being cast. Police had to resort to minor cane charge to disperse the mob.
Amritsar SSP (rural) Parampal Singh said a case is being registered against those who tore off ballot papers in Ladeh village.
The polling was also postponed in Bhitewind village of Chogawan block in Amritsar as the ballot paper carried a wrong election symbol.
In Tarn Taran district, minor incidents of violence were reported. In Roore Asal village, a video camera of a journalist was snatched allegedly by the supporters of Congress. In Bhojian village, two people were injured in stone pelting.
Tarn Taran SSP Darshan Singh Mann, however, said the whole process of the election remained peaceful in the district. “No violence was reported in the election,” he said.
In Gurdaspur, CPI (ML) state secretary Gurmit Singh's leg got fractured in an attack allegedly by Congress workers at the Narawali village polling station under the Kalanaur police station. Kalanaur SHO Paramvir Singh, however, said Gurmit’s leg fractured his leg while trying to scale the boundary wall of the polling station.
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