Violence during Panchayat elections in Punjab which claimed three lifes on Monday has not only created a wedge between ruling alliance of Shiromani Akali Dal and Bharatiya Janta Party but has also resurrected Congress party in Punjab that had become a divided house after it lost power in the state.
In a memorandum to chief election commissioner of Punjab AK Dubey, the party on Tuesday said that ??the most disturbing reports emanating from all over during election held on May 12 suggest that there has been wide-spread by the SAD musclemen.??
Meanwhile, a senior BJP leader and local bodies minister Manoranjan Kalia said he had already brought the matter to the notice of LK Advani and BJP national president Rajnath Singh. The in-charge of Punjab BJP affairs Balbir Punj is rushing to Punjab to review the situation. Kalia said he had also talked about the Tarn Taran happenings with chief minister Parkash Singh Badal this morning and also with SAD chief Sukhbir Badal late last night itself.
BJP core committee also held a meeting followed by SAD legislators to decide the future course of action.
The political developments in the state seem to have provided an opportunity to opposition Congress to hit at the alliance. The Congress memorandum said that the SAD musclemen had not even spared their coalition partners. It pointed out that the car of BJP MLA Anil Joshi of Amritsar was burnt by Akali musclemen.
The memorandum says that there has been a jungle raj in Punjab on May 12 and the goons of the ruling Siromani Akali Dal let loose the reign of terror in the Rural Punjab.
After 1.00 pm on May 12 the handpicked persons of Akalis with their musclemen ruled the polling booths and the democracy was murdered in the state. Immediate deployment of para-military forces is once again requested to ensure peaceful and fair elections. As it has been observed by the independent agencies and media that in the Panchayti Raj Institutions elections that the Punjab Police has not merely acted as mute spectator but has also actively participated in the elections as a tool in the hands of extra-constitutional powers.
The memorandum demands the PRI elections be postponed and authorities be directed to postpone the counting of votes of Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samitis till May 27 so that these could have no bearing on the results of the Panches and Sarpanches in the state. The signatories to the memorandum include Congress leaders- Joginder Singh Wasu, former Advocate General, Punjab, Naseem Singh Gill, former Deputy Speaker, and Basan Singh , former Member Legislative Assembly, Punjab.