Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Tuesday asked Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh to direct the State police to register a case against Sanaur Congress leader Harinderpal Singh Mann for inciting violence and instigating Congress workers to murder their Akali opponents.
In a statement here, Badal said it was shocking that Mann had publically told Congress workers that hundreds of “kirpans” were in store with him and that he would distribute them to party workers during the forthcoming panchayat elections. “Mann went on to instigate Congress workers to use the kirpans to murder Akali workers. Mann also told Congress workers not to be afraid of the consequences of such acts as he was there to provide them safe shelter,” he alleged.
Telling the Chief Minister that Mann made this statement after telling people about his close relations with the Chief Minister, Badal said this amounted to misusing the CM’s name. “You should clear the air immediately. You should tell Punjabis whether you have given permission to Harinderpal Mann to make this statement. If not then a criminal case should be registered against him immediately. If this is not done, it will be presumed that he is misusing the authority of the CM’s chair with your permission and backing”.
Badal said a separate case should be registered against the Congress leader for boasting that he was responsible for the party win from two wards of Sanuar during elections to the Patiala municipal corporation. “Mann said both wards were won by using brute force and by beating up Akali workers. The State election commission should also take note of this statement”, he added.
The SAD president said this was not a lone case of Congress leaders using brute force to throttle the opposition.