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Civic body polls: Opposition protests outside Punjab minister’s residence, seeks case against PA
The minister denied the allegations, claiming that the opposition is trying to rake up a controversy out of fear of defeat in the polls.
Leaders of three opposition parties — the Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) — staged a protest outside Punjab cabinet minister Dr Baljit Kaur’s residence in Malout town of Muktsar district late on Monday night, alleging highhandedness during the civic body polls process.
The minister denied the allegations, claiming that the opposition is trying to rake up a controversy out of fear of defeat in the polls.
Led by state Congress chief and Ludhiana MP Amarinder Raja Warring, the protesters alleged that minister’s personal assistant (PA), Arsh Sidhu, misbehaved with Congress leader Makhan Singh Phulewala during the scrutiny of papers for the urban local body elections.
Muktsar district BJP president Satish Asija and activists of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) also joined the sit-in.
According to reports, Congress workers had gathered at the Malout SDM office, where the scrutiny of nomination papers was underway, when the alleged incident took place.
The situation turned tense after a heated exchange between AAP and Congress workers. Opposition leaders alleged that Sidhu roughed up a Congress leader during the confrontation, triggering the protest.
Addressing protesters, Warring called for opposition unity to get a case registered against Sidhu. “I will approach the court to get a case registered if the police fail to take action,” Warring said. The dharna culminated at around 11:35pm, with the leaders calling for a protest and highway blockade at 11 am on Tuesday.
Rejecting the charges, Kaur said that fearing an imminent defeat in the urban body elections, the opposition parties joined hands to create a law-and-order situation.
“The opposition leaders had come to the SDM office prepared to attack AAP volunteers,” she alleged.
