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Ludhiana: Congress leaders protest over block samiti poll, supporters detained
Punjab cabinet minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond criticised the Congress leaders for attempting to lock a government office
Tension prevailed in Khanna on Monday after Congress leaders and workers staged a protest against the election of the block samiti chairman and vice-chairman, alleging that the process was not conducted in a fair and democratic manner.
Police detained former cabinet minister Gurkirat Singh Kotli along with several party workers when they attempted to march towards the Block Development and Panchayat Office (BDPO) to lock it as part of their protest.
The protest was organised by local Congress leaders, who had earlier announced an agitation over the issue. In view of the protest call, the police administration remained on high alert across the town since morning.
A large number of Congress leaders and workers gathered at Samrala Chowk in Khanna, raising slogans against the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab government. Addressing the gathering, Kotli alleged that the Block Samiti elections had been manipulated and were not conducted in a transparent and democratic manner. Congress leaders claimed that out of the total 16 members in the Block Samiti, the AAP had only six elected members but still managed to appoint the chairman and vice-chairman despite not having a majority. They alleged that the development undermined democratic norms and vowed to continue their agitation against the decision.
After addressing the gathering, Kotli led a group of party leaders and supporters towards the BDPO office in Khanna with the intention of locking the office as a mark of protest. However, police officials intercepted the protesters on the way and stopped them from proceeding further. Police first detained Kotli, who was carrying a lock, and later took around 40 to 50 Congress workers into custody. The detained leaders and workers were subsequently taken away in two buses.
The police action foiled the protesters’ attempt to lock the BDPO office. Heavy police deployment remained in place around the area to maintain law and order and prevent any untoward incident.
Police officials said the detentions were made as a preventive measure to ensure that the situation did not escalate and public order was maintained. Congress leaders, meanwhile, said they would continue raising the issue and intensify their protest in the coming days.
Reacting to the incident, Punjab cabinet minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond criticised the Congress leaders for attempting to lock a government office. In a social media post, he accused the party of trying to disrupt the democratic process and praised the police and civil administration in Khanna for their swift response.
