Ind candidate’s sister beaten up

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, September 19

A dharna outside the Adampur police station and blocking of the Jalandhar-Hoshiarpur highway late this evening following an incident of beating up of a young woman, who is the sister of Independent candidate Manpreet Singh from the Haripur block samiti, marred the Panchayati Raj elections in Jalandhar today.

Agitators also burnt tyres alleging that Congress workers had made casteist remarks against Manpreet’s family during the incident that ensued over a complaint of rigging of the Haripur booth. The victim, Pooja, was reportedly beaten by a former sarpanch and two women workers of the Congress at a polling booth. Her brother Manpreet is a joint candidate of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the BSP contesting on the symbol, ‘bat’, from here. Manpreet is a Dalit candidate contesting from the general seat against Congress candidate Parminder S Sodhi.

SAD MLA Pawan Tinu, who is supporting Manpreet, alleged: “Supporters of the candidate found that two Congress women were indulging in poll rigging as they were taking slips from voters from outside, making them stand outside and instead themselves going inside a booth to cast their votes. The supporters got it stopped but it resumed after an hour.

They then informed Manpreet’s family. His mother and sister reached the polling booth at 4 pm. As Pooja told her mother that she should not indulge in arguments with them and instead report the matter to the police, a former sarpanch and the two Congress women beat her up publicly.”

When Pooja reportedly approached the police, they refused to register a case. At this, the infuriated supporters of Manpreet held a dharna outside the Adampur police station. They then went to block the highway and burnt tyres in protest. The protest continued till the filing of the report.

Notably, the entire episode got flared soon after the district administration and the police issued a release thanking voters, poll staff and party workers of ensuring a smooth conduct of the elections.

SSP Jalandhar Rural Navjot Mahal said, “There has been no poll rigging. The protesters are demanding registering of a case under the SC/ST Act. We are trying to verify the facts.”

57.56 % polling in Jalandhar

Jalandhar: Reposing their faith in the electoral politics in Jalandhar district, voters today cast 57.56 % votes during the elections for the zila parishad and panchayat samiti held amid elaborate arrangements made by the district administration. Meanwhile, Jalandhar Deputy Commissioner Varinder Kumar Sharma said on Wednesday that 51.3 per cent votes were cast in Jalandhar East, 52.11 per cent in Adampur,  57.2 per cent in Bhogpur, 56.79 per cent in Jalandhar West, 61.84 per cent in Lohian Khaas, 60.36 per cent in Mehatpur, 62.12 per cent in  Nurmehal, 58.89 per cent in  Phillaur, 57.41 per cent in Shahkot, 58.33 per cent in  Rurka Kalan and 60.6 per cent in Nakodar.