Chandigarh-Shiromani Akali Dal today filed a complaint with Chief Election Officer (CEO) of Punjab against SSP Tarn Taran Dr. Ravjot Kaur Grewal and accused her of using the police force to lodge false and baseless FIRs against the Akali Dal leadership and cadre to stop them from campaigning in the Tarn Taran by- election.
SAD Chief Spokesman and Legal Cell head Arshdeep Singh Kler in his complaint said that leaders and cadre of SAD were being issued notices under section 126/169 BNS to stop them from campaigning. He said that local police administration was being misused by the ruling AAP in the Tarn Taran by- election. He said that he had earlier complained against posting of two Deputy Superintendents of Police—Sh. Jagjeet Singh and Sh. Sukhbir Singh—in District Taran Taran immediately prior to the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) coming into force but no action had been taken in the matter which has emboldened the police force to file false complaints against SAD workers. He said multiple false or politically motivated FIRs had been recently registered against leaders and workers of SAD. He said in most new FIRs SAD leaders are being falsely nominated, indicating a deliberate design to harass, silence, and restrict opposition campaign activity. He further disclosed that in a recent instance a false FIR has been registered against Varinder Singh Present Sarpanch of Village Dodhe and Manpreet Singh PA of Candidate of Shiromani Akali Dal Smt. Sukhwinder Kaur Randhawa. He said one worker namely Prabhjit Singh along with his Fortuner car had been abducted by the CIA staff and his whereabouts were not known.
He said free, fair and impartial elections were not possible if the police was being weaponized against one political party. He demanded the immediate transfer of the SSP, Dr. Ravjot Kaur Grewal, IPS, and the two DSPs, from Taran Taran, or restrict their role in election-related policing to prevent influence or bias. He also demanded appointment of an independent Nodal Officer to scrutinize all ¡›olice actions postings and FIRs during the earlier municipal elections.