CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee(PPCC) on Saturday submitted memorendum to the Punjab Governor Gen. S.F.Rodrigues (retd) seeking his intervention to save the lives and property of ten dalit families of Sirhind sho were forced to flle from homes due to alleged atrocities committerd by local Aklai MLA and police.

Rajpal Singh secretary PPCC and Kuljit Singh Nagra Chairman of Punjab Kisan and Khet Mazdoor Congress in memorendum said that dalit families of waqrd No.14 in Sirhind were forced to run away from their homes due to atrocities being committed  after the Municipal Elections. They have accused  local M.L.A. S. Didar Singh Bhatti and his son acting in connvance  with the local Police and the administration. "We seek your intervention to safeguard the life and property of the members of these families led by  Harjit Kaur (Congress candidate), Baljinder Singh son of  Baldev Singh, Balbir Singh son of Sadhu Singh, Tara Singh son of Ishar Singh, Amritpal Singh son of Ajaib Singh, Karam Singh and  Kaka Singh son of Ralla Singh, they pleaded. 

The memorendum said that on 30th of June when Municipal elections were in progress in Ward No.14 of Sirhind  The musclemen of Akali Dal numbering around 50 led by MLA S.  Didar Singh Bhatti and his son Gurwinder Singh Bhatti entered the Booth no.2 of the Ward No.14 at 10 a.m. and threatened the polling staff and the polling agent of Congress candidate  S. Pargat Singh  present there. When people gathered there they fled threatening to come back later on. At about 2.00 p.m. the Akali musclemen came to the same polling booth with Sirhind SHO and shoved Pargat Singh in a Police Gypsie and captured the booth. A formal complaint in this regard has already been lodged with the State Election Commission".

It further alleged that MLAs goons also captured booth number 1 of the Ward and this led to a wide protest by staging a peaceful Dharna at the booth. The Dharna was later joined by Dr. Harbans Lal former Minister and S. Iman Singh Mann, Kuldeep Singh Sahota President Balmik Sabha and many others. The Police arrested these peaceful protestors and lathi-charged to disperse the crowd.

The Police at the behest of M.L.A.  Didar Singh Bhatti has registered false cases against Pargat Singh and 32 others and has forced these families to flee for safer place abandoning their homes. The people who have committed the crime of supporting a political party which is their birth right have been compelled to live on road side by the Local administration.

The Congress Party registered strong Protest against the highhandedness of the  Administration especially the law enforcing agencies who are denying the right to life and property of these families. We beseech your kind intervention and directions to the Director General Police Punjab to provide security to these families and order the withdrawal of false cases being registered against them at the behest of Akali M.L.A. Didar Singh Bhatti and suitable departmental action be taken against those officials who have played partisan role during the election and victimized these poor Dalit families.