FOUR INJURED, SUKHBIR’S CAR DAMAGED IN S.A.D., CONG CLASH
BATHINDA: At least four people were injured by gunshots on Tuesday in a violent clash between workers of the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) during the filing of nominations for the Jalalabad municipal council elections in Punjab’s Fazlka district.
Leaders of the two parties accused each other of carrying firearms and triggering the violence. An SUV used by SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal was damaged in stone throwing. Badal’s media advisor Jangveer Singh said he escaped unhurt.
Badal, who is the Ferozepur MP, had gone to Jalalabad to file the nomination papers of his party’s candidates in the municipal elections.
“The vehicle in which he was travelling was targeted by a violent mob led by the Congress MLA from Jalalabad Raminder Sigh Awla,” Jangveer Singh said.
He said at least three Akali workers were hit by bullets. Badal could not be contacted. His aides said he was briefing Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla on the incident.
Awla accused Badal of inciting his supporters to attack Congress supporters. He said at least one Congress activist suffered a bullet injury and at least six were hit by stones.
“...Badal brought workers from other places in a show of strength to Jalalabad from where his party lost in the last by-election to me. Akalis workers opened fire at our team and resorted to violence,” said Awla.