Sukhbir’s visit heats up SAD politics

Mohit Khanna

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Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, September 7

Ahead of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal’s proposed visit to the area represented by Akali councillor Kamaljit Singh Karwal, politics among the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) workers in the city is hotting up.

The SAD councillor, Karwal was recently in news for allegedly hurling abuses at the president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), Avtar Singh Makkar, in full public view during the interview of a lecturer at Guru Nanak Engineering College.

It was stated that Karwal wanted a woman, whom he took along for an interview, to be selected as a lecturer. When Makkar refused, Karwal got infuriated and allegedly hurled abuses at him in the presence of a huge crowd.

The engineering college authorities had lodged a complaint with the Daba police.

The college authorities had even submitted CCTV footage as evidence but no action in the case has been taken to date.

In order to appease the Makkar faction, the police had registered a case under Section 295-A, 500 and 501 of the IPC against Baljinder Singh Jindu, a close aide of Karwal.

But the SGPC members did not relent and the office-bearers of the highest Sikh body from across the state, including some senior leader of the SAD, met the Police Commissioner Pramod Ban and the present CP Paramraj Singh Umranangal and sought police action against the SAD councillor.

It was then alleged that Karwal enjoyed the backing of the SAD supremo and it was cited as a reason for no police action against him.

While both leaders were not available for comments, leaders in SAD circles were considering the visit as a psychological victory of Karwal over Makkar.

Karwal, along with Independent MLA Simarjeet Bains, had assaulted then Sub-Registrar GS Benipal in 2009 and was arrested for the same.

It was in January that Karwal deserted his long-time aide Bains to join the SAD.

Umranangal checks security measures

Commissioner of Police Paramraj Singh Umranangal conducted a meeting of all officials and SHOs to review the security arrangements ahead of the visit. The traffic wing has also been put on high alert to make sure that the visit does not cause traffic snarls. Extra force has been deployed at Shimlapuri where the Deputy CM is expected to spend the entire afternoon meeting the SAD councillor. The Deputy Commissioner, Rajat Aggarwal, and Umranangal took stock of the security arrangements.