FIR lodged after firing near booth in Sangrur; AAP cries foul

AAP workers protest outside a police station, seeking the lodging of an FIR against district Congress president; no one named as yet.

Amid a low turnout of 65% in the district, police have booked unidentified people for firing near a polling booth at the Jharon block, with AAP co-president Aman Arora and leader of opposition Harpal Singh Cheema accusing district Congress chief Rajinder Singh Raja of thrashing their party candidate.

The AAP had even filed a police complaint and protested outside the Cheema police station, seeking the registration of a First-Information Report (FIR) against Raja till 8.30pm. The FIR, however, names no one as of now.

SSP Sandeep Garg said, “We have registered an FIR against unidentified people. The accused will be nominated after a probe.”

Arora also accused Raja of capturing the booth, having arrived at the booth with 25 of his aides. “When AAP candidate Jagsir Singh, who is 100% handicapped, tried to stop Raja, he assaulted him. His supporters fired five shots in the air. We have collected the bullet shells and handed these to the police,” he added.

Cheema added, “The Congress captured booths and murdered democracy. We have given three days to the police. We will intensify our protests if the accused are not held.”

Raja has rubbished the allegations. “We were visiting polling booths in different villages, but when we reached Jharon, some people hurled stones at us. I had no weapon and we did not fire any bullet.”

Meanwhile, Congress workers were accused of thrashing five SAD workers in Munshiwala village near Bhawanigarh. Police sources said an FIR will be lodged.