Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Elections

SAD demands immediate deployment of para military forces in Shahkot

May 24, 2018 06:08 PM

Punjab News Express
CHANDIGARH: Accusing the ruling Congress party in the state of committing a “double murder of democracy and the people’s lives through illegally distributed  illicit liquor in its campaign for the Shahkot by-election ” the Shiromani Akali Dal today urged the Chief Election Commissioner of India to make ‘a direct and on the ground intervention’ to save India’s claims as the largest democracy in the world from being reduced to a farce and a butt of ridicule in the international community.

The  party also demanded that EC must step in to stop not only the distribution of this uncertified liquor which has the potential of turning into a major hooch tragedy but also must order an emergency time bound probe into the possible link between this liquor and the massive disaster caused recently by the shocking spill of lethal effluents by the Sugar Mill cum Wine Distillery owned by a bigwig of the ruling party.

 
SAD Senior Vice President Dr Daljeet Singh Cheema today made an emergency dash to the Punjab Chief Electoral Officer and drew his attention to the widespread electoral malpractices by resorted to by the desperate Congress party.  He demanded that that as an urgent and unavoidable first step, the EC must order the replacement of the state police with para-military forces and deploy adequate number of teams of the EC to monitor the situation and enforce the model code of conduct in the area.” Dr Cheema also re-iterated the SAD demand that the entire poll process, including developments in the next three pre-poll days must be videographed by the EC.

He  submitted “irrefutable evidence that the official machinery is not only being misused but being made to function in  broad daylight as a political election agents  law and the model code of conduct by the ruling party to save democracy.
 
Later, talking to media persons, Dr Cheema said, “ We have impressed upon the EC that its teams must video-graph the entire polling process  at every polling both. The booths and the complexes within which these are located must be covered by the video-teams. In addition, temporary CCTV cameras must be operationalised in the complexes during the polling hours, including the period two hours before and after the actual process, ” said Dr Cheema.  “At this moment, the impression is  that the Election Commission has abdicated its responsibility and abandoned the people of the constituency, leaving them to the mercy of the “liquor and sand sharks who are holding India’s democracy to ransom. The EC must take immediate and effective steps to dispel the widespread impression that the EC is allowing a free run of the place to the hoodlums of the ruling party. And importantly, these steps must be taken now before it is too late, ” said Dr Cheema in a statement to the media after meeting the CEO.

“Going by the scale at which uncertified liquor is being distributed freely by the ruling party in Shahkot, it is clear that through free and illegal distribution of this uncertified liquor, the Congress campaigners here pushing the people into  the jaws of imminent death.” Asked to identify “the identify the “hand behind this dangerous and illegal distribution of dangerous uncertified liquor, Dr Cheema said, ” That hand is the election symbol of the bye h n

Dr Cheema also said that the people of the areas are till recovering from the traumatic impact of the ecological disaster caused by the recent spill of lethal effluents from the sugar mill functioning as a wine distillery which is owned by a political bigwig of the ruling party. The deadly effluent is now being spilled into the stomachs of those who will drink the illicit liquor being distributed by the ruling party as a shameful electoral allurement. “This double murder of democracy and the people of the region must stop without a moment’s delay, ” said Dr Cheema, asking the Election Commission to issue the necessary directions to the state government in this regard.  

The misuse of government machinery has crossed all the limits. The leaders of the ruling Congress party including the incumbent Ministers are using all type of pressure tactics to threaten our supporters as well as voters of the constituency. The people of the area are under grave stress and strain. We fear that the movement our poll campaigners will move out of constituency after 5.00 P.M on May 26, 2018 they will reign a wave of terror on our voters and supporters. The state police is neither capable nor willing   to counter the ruling party leaders as well as Ministers. We also fear that they (Congress leaders) will not move out of constituency and will keep on threatening our voters & supporters.

The only way to ensure free & fair environment once the campaign periods ends is to deploy para-military forces and 100% video-graphy of all polling booths.We want to express our worst fears that if both our demands are not met, then there are 100% chances of rigging and booth capturing,   he said.

Have something to say? Post your comment