Amid flip-flop, Singla aide Babu joins Cong

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, January 12

A flip-flop drama witnessed today in the city when today morning SAD candidate Sarup Chand Singla alleged that Congress candidate Manpreet Badal’s relative has threatened his supporter and Arhitya Association Bathinda president Satish Babu and he was missing since this morning. However, in the afternoon, Satish Babu joined the Congress in the presence of Manpreet Badal.

In the morning, Singla hurriedly called a press conference and claimed that today he had a door-to-door campaigning programme at the local grain market and Satish was the organiser of the function. “When we reached his shop, he was not there and his mobile phone was switched off,” he said.

He said Abhi, son of Satish Babu, had told him that late last night Manpreet’s brother-in-law Jaijeet Johal, along with some others, went to their house and told him not to support Singla and if he would do then he should be ready to face dire consequences.

He said Babu’s family was in a fear and Satish Babu had gone into hiding.

Singla also alleged that Manpreet’s aides, anti-social elements, were threatening his supporters in the city and were trying to disturb the peaceful atmosphere. He claimed that he would lodge a complaint with the Election Commission and the district administration.

However, Johal refuted the allegations and said seeing the Manpreet’s poll graph going up day by day in the city, Singla was putting up such allegation under frustration.

He said last night after 9 pm he was at Badal village and anyone could probe about the same by checking his mobile phone location and call details.

If my name comes up in any such incident, we will withdraw the candidature of Manpreet Badal,” he said.

Around 4.30 pm, Congress candidate Manpreet Badal held a press conference wherein Satish Babu joined the Congress.

While talking to mediapersons, Satish Babu said he was joining the Congress without any pressure.

He said Singla had wrongly claimed that he was kidnapped or threatened by anyone. His son is a small kid, hence they wrongly used his name. He was joining the Congress due to his own will.

Manpreet said: “We had already submitted a defamation notice against Singla. He also welcomed and thanked Satish Babu along with his family for joining the Congress.”

It is learnt that supporters of Singla had also posted some posts on social media making allegations in this regard against the Congress candidate.