Punjab: On the last day of nominations for municipal elections, women candidates and supporters of opposition parties were manhandled, their nomination files snatched and workers attacked inside and outside the mini secretariat premises while policemen on duty remained mute spectators. Following reports of candidates allegedly being manhandled and problems being faced by them, the Punjab State Election Commissioner has sought a report from the District Election Officer, Patiala. AAP candidates and workers were seen entering and exiting the mini secretariat without any hassle while candidates filing nomination papers on Akali, Congress and BJP tickets faced harassment. Videos showed how the attackers fled after tearing or snatching files in the presence of police and how senior leaders argued at the spot. Ad BJP candidate Varun Jindal said, “Goons in connivance with the police snatched files, attacked women and elderly people. Many candidates had to scale walls to file nominations.
When we reached inside, political goons were already waiting inside to attack us and tear our files.” Hours before the nominations, the police detained several Akali, Congress and BJP candidates on baseless grounds. Congress candidate Sukhwinder Kaur said, “While the police did not allow me to enter the secretariat building, I was attacked by AAP workers. Despite my pleas for help to the SHO and his men on duty, they did not hesitate to use force against me. My nomination papers were snatched away and I and my relatives were assaulted.” Several opposition candidates, including women, faced the wrath of unidentified men who attacked and tore their nomination papers in the presence of the police. Hundreds of such videos went viral, exposing complete mismanagement on the part of the authorities. “You can see that the local police is working at the behest of three local MLAs, who are there without any authority and are ensuring that no person from the BJP can file nomination papers. This is a complete murder of democracy and senior officials have gone out of touch,” alleged former Patiala MP and BJP leader Preneet Kaur. He said, “Our candidates were attacked in front of me and from 12 pm to 2 pm our candidates were not allowed to enter the returning officer’s room.” Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Waring and Youth Congress Punjab chief Mohit Mohindra said that “police used force to disperse Congress workers and candidates” to ensure the victory of AAP candidates without any contest. “They attacked women candidates in front of us and also threatened them when they filed nomination papers. Police detained relatives of our candidates on baseless grounds,” they alleged. Senior SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia said that “it is shameful how Patiala police played a partisan role under the AAP government.” He said, “Election Commission must intervene.” Playunmute loaded: 1.01% fullscreen Patiala SSP Nanak Singh said that police was completely neutral and “there was complete law and order on the last day of filing nomination papers without any violence.” Punjab state election commissioner Raj Kamal Choudhary said: “Directions have been issued by the commission to all DCs to ensure the presence of returning officers on the dates and times fixed for filing of nominations. The commission will seek a report from the DC-cum-DEO Patiala to ascertain the facts,” he told the Tribune.
