Punjab govt using police officials to threaten Opposition in bypoll, alleges Akali Dal

Chandigarh, Oct 13 (IANS) The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Monday filed a complaint with the Election Commission on misuse of government machinery by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in the Assembly bypoll and said the government was using police officials to threaten leaders of Opposition parties.

In a complaint filed with the Chief Electoral Officer, Akali Dal spokesman Arshdeep Singh Kler said police officials Jagjeet Singh and Sukhbir Singh, who are close aides of AAP candidate Harmeet Singh Sandhu, had been posted to Tarn Taran with the intention of influencing electorates.

He said these officials had earlier served as Station House Officers in Tarn Taran during the period when Sandhu was the MLA.

“Their sudden transfer and posting to the same area at this crucial juncture clearly indicates a motivated administrative decision aimed at influencing the election process,” he told the media.

Kler also detailed in his complaint that officers were intimidating sarpanches, local leaders and voters and coercing them to support the ruling party candidate.

“People are also being threatened with false cases if they refuse to do so.”

He said this conduct was not only unethical and partisan, but also a direct violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and the instructions of the Election Commission regarding neutrality of government officials during elections.

The Akali Dal leader demanded the transfer of DSP Jagjeet Singh and DSP Sukhbir Singh out of Tarn Taran district to ensure free and fair conduct of the bye-election and also urged for an independent inquiry into the allegations of intimidation and misuse of police authority.

He also urged that strict instructions should be issued to all administrative and police officials to maintain complete political neutrality during the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct.

Lashing out at Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, he said that CM was enacting a drama on a daily basis in government functions and was deliberately ignoring his primary duty to work for the betterment of Punjabis.

The Tarn Taran Assembly will go to the polls on November 11 and the ballot count on November 14.

--IANS

vg/pgh