AMRITSAR :  Congress party in a letter written to Chief Election Commissioner of India has demanded immediate deployment of Para-military forces in Amritsar City for ensuring free and fair Assembly by poll to be held on May 22.

Chief Spokesperson of the (Punjab Pardesh Congress Committee) PPCC Bir Devinder Singh today  informed the Election Commission of India that the Punjab Police which is at present responsible for maintaining law and order was facing crisis of man force especially officers.

Adding further he said, “It is surprising that six districts in the State of Punjab are without Senior Superintendents of Police and two another will be without SSPs as they were  unable to bear the undue political pressure of the SAD-BJP Government to unleash terror on the innocent political opponents, the SSP Barnala and SSP Batala had already proceeded on long leave. A large number of SHOs have also refused to succumb to the political pressure of the Akali Jathedars and have desired to be relieved”.

Bir Devinder Singh further alleged  that The role of Police in Faridkot district where nomination papers of Congress candidates were torn in the presence of SSP has also raised doubts about the role of Punjab Police in the conduct of free and fair elections in Amritsar South Assembly by-poll where the Chief Minister himself is camping and giving directions to the Police and District administration.

Bir Devinder Singh concluded the letter by saying that In the present circumstances we absolutely have lost faith in the impartiality of the Punjab Police and therefore request that para military/central forces may kindly be deployed in Amritsar District immediately for ensuring free and fair elections before it is too late.

Now there are four candidates in the election fray. SAD (Badal) candidate Inderbir Singh Bularia, Congress candidate Navdeep Singh Goldy, Ram Singh of Shriomani Akali Dal (Mann) and one independents Sharanjit Singh.

By-election in Amritsar South Assembly constituency to be held on May 22 .The seat fell vacant after the death of SAD MLA Raminder Singh Bularia on February 14 this year. He died at Cleaveland Clinic at Ohio in USA during his cancerous treatment.