Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee President Capt Amarinder Singh today warned the police officials against intimidating the Congress workers. He said, the Congress was closely monitoring the situation and following some officers who were calling the Congress workers asking them either to join Akali Dal or not to campaign for the party.
Addressing a press conference before presiding over a meeting of the people incharge of the urban areas here today Capt Amarinder disclosed that Dilbag Singh Pannu, a superintendent of Police, who had been ordered to be transferred by the Election Commission was still staying back in Moga only and party was taking up the case with Election Commission.
Similarly, he added, two Deputy Superintendents of Police Gurdeep Singh and Gurmeet Singh had been calling the Congress workers directly. He said, he will take up their case with the Election Commission for the punitive action.
The PCC president warned that these officials must not think that the Akalis were in the government and they could be rehabilitated. He said, he will ensure that all those officers found guilty of misconduct during the elections will be brought to book according to the law. “Let me make it clear to all such officers that they must not think that they can get away with this”, he made it clear in no ambiguous terms.
Reiterating his demand for the deployment of the central security forces for the entire period of campaigning Capt Amarinder said, there should not be any problem in deploying these since elections were not being held at many places. He pointed out, the Akalis had already started using the police officials against the Congress workers and it was more important now that only central security forces must be deployed for election duty.
Replying to a question about the Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal’s claim that the Akali Dal will win by a margin of 51000 votes, the former Chief Minister said, it was too childish on his part to take the people’s wishes for granted. “after all it is the people who have to vote”, he pointed out, while adding, if he thinks that he can intimidate voters by arm twisting tactics he is badly mistaken. Moreover, he remarked, “pride hath a fall and that is an old saying”.
Capt Amarinder was accompanied by the party candidate Vijay Sathi AICC secretary and incharge Punjab Dr Vijay Laxmi Sadho, incharge Moga, Rana Gurjeet Singh, Rana KP Singh, Punjab Youth Congress president Vikram Chaudhary, Punjab Mahila Congress president Dr Malti Thapar, PYC general secretary Sukhminder Danny, Sonu Dhesi, Jagdeep Sidhu, Jaspal Dhillon and others.