Cong misused govt machinery: Oppn

Amritsar: SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal has accused the Congress of misusing government machinery in the rural elections. Talking to mediapersons after paying obeisance at the Golden Temple on Saturday, he said Congress workers had resorted to large-scale booth-capturing. He said the SAD would contest the panchayat elections, but not on the party symbol. In Chandigarh, Leader of Opposition Harpal Cheema alleged that the Congress government had hijacked the elections with "unbridled use of muscle power and government machinery”. “It’s not a loss for the opposition parties. It's democracy that has lost," he added. He accused the ruling party of unleashing a reign of terror. TNS