Stones hurled at Sukhbir convoy

JALALABAD

A GROUP of people on Sunday hurled stones at the convoy of Punjab Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal. The Deputy CM was in Jalalabad constituency, which he represents in the Assembly, to kick-start his poll campaign.

During his visit, Badal held public meetings in several villages. He was leaving Kandh Wala Hazar Khan after one such meeting when the stone-pelting took place. The vehicle Sukhbir was in had left when the stone-pelting started, but a police vehicle was damaged. “As the convoy of the Deputy CM was leaving, a group of 15-20 men started pelting stones. The vehicle of an SP was damaged. Nobody was hurt. We have lodged a case,” said Fazilka SSP Ketan Baliram Patil.

Patil said the stone-pelters were from a “dissident group”.

Village Sarpanch Jaswant Singh alleged that those who hurled stones were AAP supporters. “Bhagwant Mann had told people not to let Akalis enter the village,” he said. AAP has fielded Mann from Jalalabad. Mann told The Indian Express that Badal’s convoy was attacked by “aam aadmi”andnotaamaadmiparty.

Earlier, speaking at Jalalabad, Sukhbir said, “Jalalabad is special for me. This is the reason I am contesting from here for a third consecutive time. I have spent Rs 400 crore on upgrading sewage and water works. A normal MLA wouldn’t have been able to spend more than 4 crore.”

Targeting Mann, he said: “What can you expect from a person who remains under the influence of alcohol? What good can he do for the masses? AAP has done no good in Delhi. So, one cannot expect them to do anything in Punjab.”

Pramod Adhikari Mulayam at SP headquarters in Lucknow.