Chandigarh, October 17
Upset over the shattering defeat in both Kapurthala and Garhshankar, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief and Leader of Opposition, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, today blamed the Election Commission of India as well as the Punjab Government for “brazen contempt of democratic norms” in the byelections.

A delegation of the SAD and the BJP MPs from Punjab will meet the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, in New Delhi tomorrow where besides other issues, including complaints of corruption against the family of the Chief Minister and misuse of official machinery in elections would also be raised. The Dal would also take up the issue of the reported misuse of power with leaders of various national and regional parties across the country.

Mr Badal expressed surprise that even after the whole election process had been completed, the Commission was yet to give its verdict on a majority of the complaints filed by the SAD and other Opposition parties. What was the use of approaching the Election Commission when it sat tight on all instances of electoral malpractices indulged in by the ruling party? he asked adding that no purpose would be served by the Commission’s acting on those complaints now. “It will be a case of shutting the door after the horse has bolted. Justice delayed in justice denied.” said Mr Badal.

“The results of the byelections have conclusively proved that a free and fair poll was not possible in the state except under the direct supervision of central forces and neutral observers,” he said. “What do you expect when the Election Commission finds first-hand evidence of thousands of bogus votes prepared by the ruling party in a shameless misuse of official machinery and yet takes no action beyond cancelling of some of those votes? What more evidence was needed to act against the Chief Minister and his party for indulging in electoral malpractices?” he asked.

Reacting to the results of the byelections, Mr Badal said officials of the commission were given incontrovertible evidence of liquor and money being distributed by the Congress goons and the state administrative machinery openly siding with the candidates of the ruling party.

“The Commission also vindicated our position by ordering the registration of a case against some guilty officials but then buckled under some pressure to perform a somersault devoid of grace,” said Mr Badal, claiming that the opposition parties had brought to the notice of the Commission how the Chief Minister was openly issuing threats about the use of danda against his opponents.

“The Chief Minister blatantly indulged in the language of violence at public places and went to the extent of threatening retribution against those who dared to vote against the official candidates. What did the Commission do? How can one expect an election to be free and fair when the gravest human rights violations by the ruling party go unpunished by those given the task of ensuring a free and fair poll in the country?” said Mr Badal.

Referring to the manner in which at least three leaders of the SAD had been picked up by the police on the morning of the voting in Kapurthala, he said that even senior ex-ministers were humiliated and confined to the police stations to prevent them from performing their normal democratic functions. “Is this democracy?” he asked.