Rural polls on mind, Punjab Congress tries to encash Ranjit panel report

The state goes to zila parishad and panchayat samiti elections on September 19.

Senior Congress leaders on Wednesday undertook a whirlwind tour of Bargari and Behbal Kalan villages, trying to encash into votes the Ranjit Singh Commission report that had indicted the Badals for sacrilege incidents and the death of two men in police firing in 2015.

Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar, flanked by ministers Balbir Singh Sidhu and Navjot Singh Sidhu, receives a memento carrying the photographs of the two victims of the Behbal Kalan police firing, at a rally in the village on Wednesday. (HT Photo)

The state goes to zila parishad and panchayat samiti elections on September 19.

“The panchayat (rural bodies) elections are nearing, you know now what to do, and tell us what do you want and what the present government should do,” said senior minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa in his speech inside the Burj Jawahar Singh Wala gurdwara.

Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar, and Navjot Singh Sidhu, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Balbir Sidhu and Sadhu Singh Dharamsot accompanied Bajwa.

Jakhar accused Sukhbir Badal of getting ₹104 crore from Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh for letting the latter’s film, ‘MSG-2’ release in state.

Sidhu said Badals will be sent to jail on the basis of findings of the Ranjit Singh panel.