Suspected Akali activists attack Patiala's AAP workers

On Wednesday, Aam Admi Party’s (AAP) Patiala (rural) candidate, Dr Dharamvir Gandhi and his companions were allegedly attacked by a group of 20 to 25 men led by Shiromani Akali Dal’s Ward No. 12 councillor, Rajinder Virk, an hour before the end of polling at Rasoolpur Saidan village in the Patiala Assembly segment.

Virk managed to escape before the police reached the spot, but was arrested late in the evening. The police have registered an FIR against Virk and his accomplices for assault, voluntarily causing hurt, wrongful restraint and obstructing a public servant, DSP (rural) Gurdev Dhaliwal said.

AAP’s legal cell leader Chetanya Sharma said that Dr Gandhi had protested against booth-capturing by Akali workers and had requested the armed men led by Virk not to harass AAP workers at the booth. Recounting the events of that day, Dr Gandhi said, “I requested Rajinder Virk not to intimidate our workers as he had been doing throughout the day. Instead of leaving our workers alone, he and his men pounced on me. They punched and slapped me. One of Virk’s men snatched my security official’s weapon and also took off his turban.”

“They were armed with rods and stones and did not even spare Dr Gandhi’s car while escaping from the spot,” AAP leaders and security officials present at the spot alleged. “Akali councillors and their leaders had been threatening our workers at almost every booth since morning. We tried to ignore minor incidents, but surprisingly the local police also did not react to complaints of attempts of booth-capturing in Devigarh, Rasoolpur, Samana and Patiala (rural) Assembly segment,” they alleged.

“Our workers were harassed, threatened and thrashed at various places, including Rajpura and Sanaur. We will get all the reports by tomorrow and approach the police with all the complaints,” Dr Gandhi said. AAP leaders held a dharna demanding the immediate arrest of Virk and his associates, who they said were closely associated with Cabinet minister Surjit Singh Rakhra.

The Congress, meanwhile, condemned the incident terming it “very unfortunate”. Patiala MLA Brahm Mahindra said the attack was against the basic principles of democracy and the police should take strict action against such goons. Congress MLA Brahm Mohindra condemned the attack on Dr Gandhi. He said that it is an "undemocratic step" taken by Akali leaders and workers.

In Jalalabad village, AAP workers Kartar Singh and Shamsher Singh were admitted to the Rajindra, a Government hospital after they were allegedly beaten up by Akali leader Tarsem Singh and his henchmen. “We were punched and kicked in full public view for openly supporting AAP in the village,” they said. In Samana and Devigarh, some AAP workers alleged they were threatened to leave their polling booth and two of them were slapped. Another AAP leader from Nabha alleged Akali and Congress workers asked him to leave the booth party and slapped him when he resisted. In Model Town and Partap Nagar area of Patiala, Akali and Congress supporters engaged in verbal duels and the situation was saved only with police intervention.