Dismissing as ridiculous the SAD charges against the SSP of Muktsar, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Friday criticised the Akali leadership for its "attempts to divert attention from its impending defeat" in the zila parishad and panchayat samiti elections.
In a statement here, he said the Akalis were clearly frustrated by its series of electoral defeats, which the latest polls were all set to cap, and was trying to build a case for itself in the face of its imminent trouncing in the same.
The SSP had been doing his job, ensuring that the elections went off peacefully, said the chief minister, lashing out at the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leadership's "shameless behaviour" in targeting the officer.
The SAD leadership, which had always sought to undermine the authority of the police and administrative officers in the state, had once again shown that it had no respect for such officials, the chief minister said, adding that the police force had finally been freed of the shackles under which it was kept by the erstwhile Akali government.
Expressing shock at the "baseless charges" against the SSP, he said it was obvious that the SAD leadership, which had never promoted or encouraged honesty among the officers, believed every official to be as corrupt as they themselves were.
It was difficult for them to accept the fact that officials, under the Congress government, were working honestly and fearlessly to uphold the states law and order, he added.
The chief minister rejected outright the SAD demand for the transfer of the SSP over its baseless allegations.
He also came down heavily on the SAD leadership for trying to unleash an atmosphere of terror in order to intimidate the people and government officials in the state.
Having clearly learnt no lessons from its series of poll defeats, beginning with last years Assembly election, the Akalis still seemed to be holding to the false belief that it could force its way to victory through hooliganism and rowdyism, Singh said.
His government would not allow the Akalis to terrorise the police force or the administration, whose officers and men were working hard to shed their negative image that had been built by the SAD-BJP regime during the 10 years of misrule, the chief minister said.
He strongly condemned Badal for trying to take the law in his hands through such abominable acts, saying such acts were unbecoming of the president of a major political party like the SAD.
On Thursday, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) had demanded immediate registration of case and arrest of Muktsar SSP Manjit Singh Dhesi for allegedly "organising" booth capturing in the block samiti and zila parishad polls.
Senior SAD leaders Bikram Singh Majithia, Maheshinder Singh Grewal and Dr Daljit Singh Cheema had said the Muktsar SSP, who was a brother of the chief ministers OSD, had given directions to the district police to help Congress workers capture booths as per the command of his political masters.
"Despite such large scale booth capturing no case was registered against a single Congress worker or officer. This indicts Manjit Dhesi and he should be punished appropriately for muzzling the voice of democracy and allowing gangsters a free run of Muktsar district to do as they pleased," they had said.
Sukhbir and some other Akali workers were on Wednesday booked for allegedly thrashing a Congress worker at Killianwali village in Punjab's Muktsar district during zila parishad and panchayat samiti polls.
A case under relevant sections including 341 (Punishment for wrongful restraint), 323 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 506 Punishment for criminal intimidation of the IPC has been registered, Muktsar SSP Manjit Singh Dhesi had said on Wednesday.
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