High drama after ‘clash’ at Cong poll office

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, October 12

Two groups of the Congress workers of Baddowal village allegedly clashed outside the election office of Congress candidate Capt Sandeep Singh Sandhu at Mullanpur Dakha today.

A video has gone viral in which Congress worker Gora Baddowal is heard accusing Cabinet Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu of manhandling him and tossing his turban. He says his grandfather was also associated with the Congress but the minister is allegedly using his influence against him. Gora is also heard using abusive language for ex-sarpanch of Baddowal Amarjot Singh.

Gora, who is seen without turban in the video, squatted on the Ludhiana-Ferozepur highway to mark his protest against the minister. In the video, the police are seen shifting Gora in their vehicle.

Sources said the Gora-Tarandeep group allegedly clashed with another group led by former sarpanch Amarjot Singh and Zila Parishad member Kuldeep Singh.

Amarjot Singh said: “Actually, Gora had abused Kuldeep Singh in front of senior Congress leaders a week ago. I, along with Kuldeep, was going to file a police complaint against Gora today when the latter reached there and started beating us. Gora is levelling false allegations against me and the Cabinet minister.”

Ashu refutes all allegations

In a press release issued here, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu has dismissed all allegations levelled against him by a youth. “My name is deliberately dragged into a dispute between two party workers to dramatise and sensationalise the issue,” he said.

The minister said it was too obvious that the aggrieved youth was made to mention his name. “Otherwise, the aggrieved youth was naming some other party worker with whom he had some issues and somebody who was making the video mentioned him my name and he started taking my name after that,” he said.

The minister said it clearly revealed the frustration of the Akalis that they had stooped to this level to defame the Congress leaders.

Meanwhile, DSP Gurbans Singh Bains said that Gora and Tarandeep of Baddowal had old dispute with Amarjot and Kuldeep of the same village. “As we received information about a clash, the police reached there. If any complaint is received, we will take legal action after verification,” he said.