Bathinda, August 28
In an incident which could have far-reaching consequences, the group leader of municipal councillors of the BJP, Mr Krishan Kumar Garg, and another councillor, Mr Basant Bhatia, were allegedly beaten up by a group of councillors belonging to the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and their henchmen in the municipal council hall today morning in the presence of MC president, Mr Bhupinder Singh Bhullar.

After the incident, BJP workers, led by district president Gulzar Singh, Yuva Janata Morcha leader Rajinder Mittal and representatives of traders organisations including Mr R.D. Gupta, Mr Subhash Kumar and Mr Ashok Kumar, held rallies at Sadbhavana chowk and in front of the municipal council hall and raised slogans against this act of “goondaism” and the corrupt practices of a section of SAD councillors.

Mr Garg, talking to Tribune News Service, alleged that he and Mr Bhatia were attacked by some SAD councillors and others who were loyal to Mr Bhullar. Mr Garg said they were attacked because he had been raising the issue of corruption in municipal council affairs regularly.

He said when he and Mr Bhatia entered the municipal council hall to lodge their protest before Mr Bhullar in connection with the use of sub-standard material in development work being done in the ward represented by him, a group of councillors and their henchmen, one of them the husband of a woman municipal councillor, started beating them up.

He alleged that he had also raised the matter of “benami” contractorship by some councillors through the print media and today’s attack was made to teach him a lesson.

He alleged that the persons who attacked them were carrying sticks in the municipal council hall where the meeting of councillors was to be held.

He alleged that when they were being beaten up, Mr Bhullar remained a mute spectator.

Mr Garg claimed that a probe by the CBI or a judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court could reveal misappropriation of funds amounting to Rs 10 crore in the development works which had been carried out in the past over three years.

Mr Gulzar Singh, district president, BJP, demanded legal action against the attackers. He said Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, BJP state president Brij Lal Rinwa and Punjab Local Bodies Minister Balramji Dass Tandon would be approached to demand a high-level inquiry into the rampant corruption in municipal council affairs.

Mr Ajaib Singh Bhatti, Additional Deputy Commissioner, said he would submit his report to the Deputy Commissioner, Mr R. Venkat Ratnam, after listening to the parties concerned.

He said legal action would be taken against the culprits after complaints from the parties concerned were received by the police.