Day after AAP worker killed, Lakhowal village boycotts poll

PK Jaiswar

Amritsar, June 1

Residents of Lakhowal village in this Lok Sabha constituency boycotted the election today to protest killing of AAP worker Deep Inder Singh last night.

He was sitting along with his other supporters of party when two armed assailants opened fire at him. He suffered multiple gunshot injuries in the firing that also left four others injured.

DIG Rakesh Kaushal along with Amritsar Rural SSP Satinder Singh reached the spot and tried to pursue the residents to participate in the voting process. “We can only request them. If they have unanimously decided to boycott (the poll), we can’t pressurise them,” said the DIG.

The village has 1,289 voters, but only three people cast their vote. Heavy police force led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (Ajnala) Raj Kumar was present in the village where two polling booths were set up. “Only three people have voted till now,” said a polling staff.

Jagtar Singh, Sarpanch of the village, who owes allegiance to the Congress, said: “We unanimously decided to boycott the election today. The police and administrative officials approached us and asked us to join in voting process. The residents were upset as our youth was gunned down by armed assailants.

“We will not create any trouble in the polling process, but we would not cast our vote,” he said.

Arshdeep Singh, a witness of the firing incident, said: “We have lost our brother and we have decided not to vote.”