Sukhbir urges EC to order arrest of Laddi

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal today urged the Election Commission to order arrest of Congress's Shahkot bypoll candidate Hardev Singh Laddi who has been booked in an illegal mining case.

On May 4, Laddi and two others were booked by police for alleged illegal sand mining in different villages of Jalandhar district.

Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had on Monday alleged that the Mehatpur SHO, who registered against Laddi, was upset over his earlier transfer and is in touch with AAP's Sukhpal Singh Khaira and SAD's Daljit Cheema and the FIR against Laddi appeared to be a fallout of the same.

Addressing a rally here before party candidate Naib Singh Kohar filed his nomination papers as for the by-poll, Badal alleged that money had exchanged hands in the award of the party ticket to Laddi.

There can be no other reason for the stoic silence of the Congress high command on this issue," Badal said.

The SAD president also urged the Election Commission to ensure due protection to Mehatpur SHO, who had registered the FIR against the Congress candidate.

He claimed the SHO had earlier been awarded the DGP's commendation disc.

How can an officer who has been given the highest serving award in the Punjab Police a few months back now be held to be mentally unstable just because he has registered an FIR against the Congress candidate, Badal said.

BJP state president Shwait Malik on the occasion said governance was totally "paralysed" in Punjab due to which various "mafia" formed by Congress leaders had taken over the state.

He exhorted people to teach a befitting lesson to the Congress party in the forthcoming by-poll.