Cops on toes as Ferozepur sees minor clashes; hooliganism, says PCC chief

On the last day of filing nominations for the upcoming panchayat elections in Punjab, minor incidents of violence and clashes between party workers were reported across various locations, including Zira, Mamdot, Talwandi Bhai and Ferozepur. However, timely intervention by the police helped prevent the conflicts from becoming more severe. Law enforcement remained on high alert throughout the day to maintain control.

In a troubling incident in a city area, Punjab Police constable Amrit Pal Singh, stationed at a nomination centre, was attacked by unidentified youths after he instructed them to form a line. The assailants retaliated by attacking the constable with a knife, tearing his uniform. The attackers fled, and the constable was admitted to a civil hospital for treatment.

Gurpreet Singh, former Sarpanch of Bhamba Landa village, reported that over 200 persons, allegedly linked to a gangster, attacked him in Ghall Khurd block as he attempted to file his nomination papers. Gurpreet claimed that the attackers intended to kill him but his security personnel intervened, firing into the air to disperse the crowd. Gurpreet accused a sitting AAP MLA of orchestrating the attack.

In another incident in Zira, the nomination papers of a Congress-supported candidate were snatched, though police later apprehended the culprits. Scuffles also broke out in Mamdot block between rival party workers.

Further unrest occurred in Zira, where seven individuals were booked following a complaint by AAP state spokesman and Punjab Agro chairman Shaminder Khinda. Khinda alleged that the accused, armed with sticks, baseball bats, knives, and revolvers, attacked his vehicle. The police registered an FIR under sections of the BNS and the Arms Act.

In Makhu block, several people were booked for poll violence. Four were charged under the Arms Act and BNS sections, while five others faced charges related to poll-related violence in Nihale Ke village.

Meanwhile, state Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring visited Zira to meet District Congress Committee President Kulbir Singh Zira, who had been injured in a clash between AAP and Congress workers earlier in the week. Warring was accompanied by senior party leaders, including MP Sher Singh Ghubaya and former MP Jasbir Singh Dimpa.

Addressing Congress workers, Warring urged them not to be intimidated by political violence and assured them of his support. He emphasised that while Congress workers would abide by the law and maintain peace during the nomination process, they would not tolerate hooliganism from other parties.

Kulbir Singh Zira, still recovering from his injuries, filed a plea in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, requesting enhanced security for his safety amid the volatile political environment. The political tensions surrounding the panchayat elections have prompted increased security measures and continued efforts by the police to ensure a peaceful process.