Chandigarh: May 24: Punjab Congress today lodged strong protest against the highhandedness and large scale rigging of elections to Panchayati Raj Institutions in the State by staging Dharna outside residence of Punjab Chief Minister S. Parkash Singh Badal under the leadership of Smt. Rajinder Kaur Bhattal Leader of the Opposition and President PPCC. Later a Memorandum was submitted to Hon’ble Governor Punjab.
The Punjab Congress Spokesman S. Bir Devinder Singh said in a Press Release issued here today that Smt. Bhattal was arrested by the Police alongwith 39 MLAs and was later released. The Party Spokesman also disclosed that it has been decided to hold a meeting of the General Body of the Punjab Congress including all MPs/Ex MPs, MLAs/Ex MLAs, Candidates of last Assembly elections, Office Bearers of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, AICC &PCC Members of Punjab and Presidents of District Congress Committees on 29th of May,2008 at 10.00 a.m. in the Punjab Congress Bhawan to chalk out the strategy of the Party to deal with situation arisen out of the brazen misuse of the official machinery for the broad day murder of democracy by the Akali Dal in the recently concluded elections of the Panchayati Raj Institutions and also in the Amritsar Bye election. After the meeting the Congressmen will march towards residence of Chief Minister to Gherao him in protest of his inability to curb the hooliganism and violence in the elections casting doubts about the fairness of these elections.