4 BJP leaders booked over Basti Bawa Khel episode

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 14

Posing yet another challenge for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Jalandhar police today booked husbands of four BJP women candidates. They include Dheeraj Bhagat whose wife Jatinder Kaur Bhagat is in the fray from ward number 75, Kamal Sharma whose wife Sharda Sharma is contesting from ward number 43, Saurav Seth whose wife Kavita is contesting from ward number 74 and Vineet Dheer whose wife Shweta Dheer is contesting from ward number 77.

The four were booked along with other senior leaders, including district president Ramesh Sharma, Mohinder Bhagat and Ravi Mahendru for causing public mischief outside Basti Bawa Khel police station on Wednesday night. The BJP was protesting after police allegedly ‘detained’ two of their members inside the police station.

While accusing the Jalandhar police of playing into the hands of Congress MLA Sushil Rinku, BJP district president Ramesh Sharma said the police had done so to affect the morale of the women candidates contesting the elections in his constituency.

“This is not the first time that the police are harassing us. Earlier also, a PCR motorcycle went to our candidate Parminder Singh Saini and tried to enter forcibly into his house. It was only after the women in the house shouted for help, they ran away,” alleged Sharma, adding that the party had also forwarded the CCTV footage of the police vehicle number PB08 BS 6228 standing outside Saini’s house to the Election Commission of India.

He added that the Congress supporters were threatening Varesh Minto who had recently left the Congress and had joined the BJP.

Meanwhile, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today released its list of election observers who would be taking care of complaints and violations pertaining to the MC elections in Jalandhar.

While Srabjit Singh Makkar was made the election coordinator from Jalandhar Cantonment, Baljit Singh Neelamahal was made the coordinator from Jalandhar North. While Paramjit Singh Raipur was made coordinator from Jalandhar Central, Gurcharan Singh Channi would be looking after the Jalandhar West.

SAD district president Kulwant Singh Mannan said the party would not allow any atrocity either by the Congress or by the police in the ongoing elections.