BATHINDA: Union minister and SAD candidate from Bathinda Lok Sabha constituency Harsimrat Kaur Badal Saturday accused the Punjab Police of refusing to take action against miscreants who tried to disrupt her poll rally here.
Lashing out at the state police for "working at the behest" of the ruling Congress government, the Akali Dal leader said: "There is a total collapse of law and order in Bathinda."
Claiming that her life was "endangered", Harsimrat Kaur Badal said that the Amarinder Singh government had "vitiated" the poll atmosphere in the state by not allowing her to enter Mandi Kalan village in Maur assembly segment on Saturday evening.
She also alleged that her supporters in the village were locked up. "In direct contrast the miscreants who were adamant on disturbing my poll meeting were given a free hand and no attempt was made to rein them in," she claimed in a party release here.
"All this happened despite prior information given to the Bathinda SSP about the Congress conspiracy to disturb her poll meetings. The police failed to act on this information and did not take any preventive action," she said.
"The police officers also reached the village only one hour after I sat down on dharna on the GT road near Mandi Kalan village. I have told them to arrest the miscreants so that I can address the thousand strong people who are waiting to hear me," she claimed.
The sitting MP from Bathinda constituency said she had also complained to the Election Commission. "I have told the EC that my democratic rights are being trampled upon by the Congress government which is desperate to ensure my loss and is using all foul means at its disposal to do this," she said. "I have urged the EC to immediately deploy paramilitary forces in Bathinda parliamentary constituency to ensure free and fair elections," she added.
She further alleged that the police in Bathinda was taking orders from Congress leaders as well as the state government. "The Congress party is hell bent on striking fear in the minds of Akali workers to force them to refrain from campaigning for the SAD. Similarly the general public is also being brow beaten and told to vote for the Congress candidate by the civil and police administration," she claimed.