Arrest me in assault case, Sukhbir Badal dares Punjab govt, police

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday dared the Punjab government and the police to arrest him in a case registered against him and his party workers for attacking a Congress worker in Muktsar during the zila parishad and panchayat samiti elections on Wednesday.

Sukhbir, who was booked for provoking his party workers to indulge in violence, said this after attending a gathering at Raikot of Ludhiana to mark the death anniversary of Jagdev Singh Talwandi, former president of the Akali Dal and the Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). He said his party, once voted to power, will take action against police officials who registered cases against him and Akali workers just to please the Congress leaders.

“I am preparing the list of police officials implicating our party workers in false cases. After forming government, Akali Dal will deal with them with an iron hand. Muktsar senior superintendent of police (SSP) Manjit Singh Dhesi will face the music for helping Congress workers in booth capturing,” he said.

He announced that Jagdev Singh Talwandi’s son Ranjit Singh Talwandi will be party general secretary. Former minister Bikram Majithia and other SAD leaders also attended the gathering.

Party leader Maheshinder Singh Grewal and former MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali claimed to have audio and video proofs of Congress workers capturing booth during the elections.

Congress involved in ‘Referendum 2020’

Grewal said while chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh termed ‘Referendum 2020’ as anti-national, his minister Tript Rajinder Bajwa met its main organiser Avtar Singh Pannu in London in August. This shows the Congress is indulging in anti-national activities, he said.

First Published: Sep 21, 2018 21:34 IST