Akali leader gunned down in Punjab village

The Punjab Police on Tuesday launched a manhunt for a retired Army colonel and his son after a 79-year-old man was shot dead in Punjab's Gurdaspur district.

Gurbachan Singh Khalsa, a senior leader of the Shiromani Akali Dal in the area, was allegedly shot dead by Col. Surjit Singh in Peorchichi village of the district, around 250 km from here, on Monday evening.

The killing led to tension as the alleged shooter is linked to Congress leaders in the area.

The police have rounded up one person for questioning.

Police officials said that the accused Army officer was threatening Gurbachan Singh and his family for the last few days using a loudspeaker from his house in the village.

The shooting took place as the retired Army officer had an argument with Gurbachan Singh on Monday evening.

Linking the killing of the Akali leader by a Congressman due to political rivalry and condemning it, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday said that even before the formation of the Congress government in Punjab, Congressmen have started showing their true colours.

In a statement, AAP leaders Sukhpal Singh Khaira and Kanwar Sandhu said that both the Congressmen and Akalis have same culture of terrorising people while in power.

This is the second incident of killing in Punjab in the past two days, resulting from political and personal rivalry.

Two persons, owing allegiance to the Congress party, were killed in Bareta town of Mansa district on Sunday after they were fired upon by a rival group of Akali Dal supporters.

The reason for the killing was rivalry over control of the local truck union.

The killings took place just a day after assembly election results, in which the Congress emerged victorious and returned to power after one decade.

--IANS

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