Firing, clashes & rigging in Muktsar--CM, Sukhbir skip voting

SAD state of affairs for village democracy  
Firing, clashes & rigging in Muktsar
Akalis, Congmen cross swords
CM, Sukhbir skip voting
Rajay Deep
Tribune News Service

Voters in Midu-Khera village in Muktsar district wait for their turn to cast ballot as doors of the polling booth was bolted from inside. —Tribune photo by Malkiat Singh

Badal/Lambi (Muktsar), May 11
Following the pattern usually heard of in Bihar elections, the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) allegedly left no stone unturned to bend the polling day in its favour. Booth capturing, firing, assaulting opponents and even media persons, remained the summary of the PRI polls here today.
The percentage of polling was 67 in Muktsar district, the home turf of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his nephew, finance minister Manpreet Badal, but ironically, neither the CM nor SAD chief Sukhbir Badal chose to cast their ballot. Manpreet Badal also did not turn up to cast his vote.
Irregularities were reported from a number of villages in the district namely, Midhu Khera, Ghagga, Lambi, Badal, Panjawa, Jhorarh, Mehna, Kotli Devan, Ghumiara and Madir.
Sources in villages Kotli Devan and Lambi in Muktsar district said that SAD activists fired shots in the air to create terror among the opponents. Various incidents of booth capturing and assault were also reported from the area.
An injured Baljinder Singh Mann of village Ghagga, lying in Gidderbaha civil hospital, alleged that SAD activists put red chilli in his eyes and assaulted him with a sharp-edged weapon. He had a severe gash in his arm and doctors had to apply ten stitches. Also at the same hospital was a 16-year-old Jagdeep Singh of village Madir who had suffered a head injury. Jagdeep alleged that a local SAD leader had assaulted him with brick because he had heard of his “gameplan.”
A Congress candidate for the Block Samiti from Ghumiara, Dharam Singh alleged that the SAD activists, in connivance with the policemen deputed at the booth, cast bogus votes and no one paid heed to his repeated requests to stop it.
According to sources, at village Ghumiara, Kotli Devan, Madir and Jhorarh in the district, polling was interrupted for an hour allegedly due to a clash between the SAD and Congress workers. Reports of the polling staff being thrashed by SAD workers also filtered in.
At village Lambi, the home turf of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, reports of gunshots being fired poured in. Here, two journalists of national dailies were made captive for an hour and it was only after repeated requests that they were allowed to leave. A Punjabi daily photographer was assaulted leading to a fracture of arm and leg. Congress leader Mahesh Inder Singh Badal was also allegedly roughed up.
In village Badal, reports of people casting their vote without any identity proof and vehicles with stickers of SAD pasted on them were reported to be moving freely. The presence of a large number of musclemen was observed at all booths in the district.
When contacted, Deputy Commissioner, Muktsar, Vikas Garg, said, “All these incidents took place outside the polling booths. For this, the police would be held responsible. We are also investigating the irregularities.” Despite repeated attempts, SSP Muktsar Gurpret Singh Gill could not be contacted for his comments.