Accusing the district police of intimidating Congressmen at the behest of ruling SAD-BJP alliance, local MP and Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur on Monday met deputy commissioner-cum-District Electoral Officer GK Singh to lodge a complaint.
Accompanied by MLA Brahm Mohindra and nearly a dozen party candidates, Preneet accused SHOs of Kotwali, City and Tripuri police stations of threatening candidates to withdraw from elections. She demanded the transfer of all three SHOs.
"In place of ensuring free and fair elections, the police are threatening the Congress candidates. It's policeraj in Patiala and policemen are openly working for Akalis to pressurise the Congressmen into withdrawing from the contest," she told the DC in the meeting.
"Congress candidates are not allowed to canvass and are threatened by police with being framed in false case. Some of our candidates have left their homes and taken shelter elsewhere for the fear of police raids," she alleged.
"Our elders fought for democracy and the right of vote. However, SAD-BJP is murdering the spirit of democracy by intimidating Congressmen. Is this the way to conduct elections? Learn from Delhi or Shimla, where the ruling parties held fair elections and the opposition managed to wrest power. The ruling combine is afraid of losing, which is why it is using police force," she submitted to election observer Kirpa Shankar Saroj.
Reacting to the complaint, the DC said he could act only on a written complaint. "You haven't filed a single complaint with us, so you can't accuse us that we didn't act. Please file a written complaint, we sure will act," the DC assured.
{{/usCountry}}Reacting to the complaint, the DC said he could act only on a written complaint. "You haven't filed a single complaint with us, so you can't accuse us that we didn't act. Please file a written complaint, we sure will act," the DC assured.
{{/usCountry}}Not enthused by the response, Preneet Kaur said the administration is behaving like jathedars of Akali-BJP. "If this doesn't stop, Congress will give a befitting reply by staging a protest and blocking the entire city," she said.
MLA Brahm Mohindra said the candidates will file their complaints with the returning officers by evening and if the administration failed to transfer the SHOs, the party will be forced to resort to the path peaceful agitation.