Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal’s vehicle was on Tuesday allegedly attacked with stones in Punjab’s Fazilka district, where he had gone to oversee the filing of nominations for municipal council elections, the Hindustan Times reported. Four other people sustained bullet injuries as a clash erupted between Akali Dal and Congress workers.
Fazilka Senior Superintendent of Police Harjit Singh confirmed that four people had been injured, but their identity and party affiliation was yet to be ascertained.
Youth Akali Dal chief Parambans Singh Romana alleged that Badal’s car was also fired upon, according to The Tribune. However, he managed to escape unhurt.
A first information report has been named registered against Congress MLA Raminder Singh Awla, his son and 60 other unnamed accused in connection with the incident, reported ANI.
Both parties blamed each other for the violence.
Romana said that the attackers were led by the brother of a Congress MLA. On the other hand, Awla alleged that Badal brought along “musclemen” who indulged in violence.
An unidentified police officer told The Tribune that members of the two parties had an argument before the clash. “We are ascertaining facts and sequence of the events,” the official added.
The Akali Dal staged a protest against the attack, demanding that murder cases be filed against those responsible for the violence. The party also demanded Chief Minister Amarinder Singh’s resignation for the “premeditated” attack on Badal. “The party condemns the murderous attack on Akali workers and on SAD president S. Sukhbir Singh Badal by police- backed Cong goons in Jalalabad,” the SAD said in a statement.
The Akali Dal added: “We can’t hope for free and fair municipal bodies polls under these circumstances. State Election Commission has utterly failed to rein in rogue Congress elements. SAD demands immediate deployment of para- military forces as Punjab Police can’t be trusted to do its duty.”
When asked about the Akali Dal’s allegations, Singh said: “Two Akalis and two Congress people were injured. So we don’t know anything. Let the police do their work.”
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