Outside SDM office in Dharamkot, Moga. (Express photo)
One person was injured in firing and three policemen were injured during stone pelting in clashes between Congress and Akali Dal workers Friday on the last day of nomination filing for zila parishad and panchayat samiti elections, outside SDM office in sub-division Dharamkot in Moga district.
Clashes broke out after Congress workers started sloganeering against Akali Dal for their alleged involvement in sacrilege of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, to which Akali workers responded with slogans against Congress for 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
As tension escalated, a gunshot was fired,injuring a Congress worker. Some Congress workers then started stone pelting, in which three policemen were injured, and some vehicles were vandalized.
The injured Congress worker, Simranjit Singh from Datewala village, was taken to Civil Hospital Moga and then referred to Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), Ludhiana with a bullet injury in his thigh.
Police booked Akali Dal worker Kulwinder Singh of same village for allegedly Shooting at Simranjit, and booked him for attempt to murder (Section 307 of IPC) at Dharamkot police station.
In the second FIR registered at Dharamkot police station, police booked at least 20 persons (mostly Congress workers) for creating ruckus, stone pelting, obstructing policemen and other officials from performing their duty and injuring three policemen. The injured policemen were identified as head constable Baldev Singh and constables Harjit Singh and Gurkirat Singh. The suspects were booked under Sections 353, 186 and 188 of IPC on complaint of SHO Dharamkot.
Barjinder Brar, son of former SAD minister Tota Singh, alleged that Congress workers stopped their candidates from filing papers, due to which at least 10-12 papers could not be filed, adding that this happened in front of SSP and Deputy commissioner but they stood as mute spectators. He also claimed that papers of their candidate Nishan Singh were torn in front of DC.
Meanwhile, Congress MLA from Dharamkot Sukhjit Kaka Lohgarh, denied the allegations and said that in fact it was an SAD worker who opened fire on their worker, adding that police should enquire how he managed to get a weapon during election process and why it was not confiscated as per election rules.
Moga SSP Gurpreet Singh Toor said, “We have filed two FIRs, one for firing in which one person has been injured and the other for stone pelting in which three policemen were injured. The persons involved in stone pelting and creating ruckus outside SDM office are being identified.”
DPS Kharbanda, Deputy Commissioner, Moga, claimed that nomination process was completed well in time despite the ruckus created by workers from both parties. “We got information that some persons will try to stop nomination filing and are gathering outside SDM office. I reached there immediately and they were not allowed to stop other parties from filing papers. We received 39 nominations today including 30 of Akali Dal candidates and 9 of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidates. No one was denied right to file papers.”