Sukhbir’s cavalcade stoned, 4 injured

Chandigarh : Four Akali supporters were injured and a police Gypsy damaged when the cavalcade of Punjab Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal was stoned near Kandhwala Hazir Khan village in his constituency, Jalalabad, late this evening. Sukhbir escaped unhurt. The official vehicle of SP (Special Branch), Amarjit Singh Motwani, was damaged. A case has been registered against 20 persons. The incident has raised security concerns ahead of the February 4 Assembly elections. Home Secretary KBS Sidhu, while seeking a report on the incident, warned: “No one will be allowed to create a law and order problem during the election process.” In the past few days, at least three Akali leaders — Rajya Sabha member Balwinder Singh Bhunder, Rural Development and Panchayats Minister Sikander Maluka and MLA Ravinder Singh Brahmpura — have faced hostile crowds. Before the poll code came into force, AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal’s cavalcade too was attacked. Ketan Baliram Patil, SSP, Fazilka, said just as Sukhbir finished addressing a rally in the village, some persons sought a meeting with him. “Owing to paucity of time, he could not meet all of them. Some of them started throwing stones at the cavalcade, but we took charge of the situation.”  Charan Singh, chairman of the local market committee, claimed a group of disgruntled youths wanted to meet the Deputy CM. “I took along a few of them. It seems that was not enough. As soon as the Deputy CM left, the youths picked up stones being used to lay a road and flung these at the cavalcade.” Blaming AAP, he claimed Bhagwant Mann had been provoking voters to target the Akalis. Sukhjinder Singh, chairman, Arniawala Block Samiti, named a few local AAP workers. Among the injured was former sarpanch of Mammukhera village Parminder Singh.