In a major political escalation, the Congress party in Punjab has announced a complete boycott of the upcoming district council and block committee elections in three key assembly constituencies of Amritsar. The decision comes as a direct protest against a violent attack on Surjit Singh, the sarpanch of Bhindi Saidan village, which the party blames on workers of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Protest Against "Rigged" Electoral Process
The announcement was made by Gurjeet Singh Aujla, the Congress Member of Parliament from Amritsar, following a strategic meeting on Saturday. Aujla stated that the party will not participate in the elections for the Rajasansi, Majitha, and Ajnala assembly segments. He accused the state government of attempting to manipulate the electoral process in its favour by misusing the administration and police force.
"The govt tried to manipulate the elections in its favour with the help of the administration and the police. Therefore, the Congress will not be a part of any rigged election," Aujla declared. He emphasized that the boycott was to prevent others from facing a similar fate as Surjit Singh, stating that no one else should be put in a life-threatening situation for participating in democracy.
Allegations of Police Complicity and False Cases
The core of the controversy is an alleged assault by over three dozen AAP workers at the residence of Sarpanch Surjit Singh. Congress leaders claim they had forewarned the Amritsar Rural police about a potential attack, but no preventive action was taken. Shockingly, they allege that the beating occurred in the full view of police and election officials present at the scene.
"Two people are hospitalised as a result, and a video of the entire incident has also surfaced," said Aujla. Instead of registering First Information Reports (FIRs) against the attackers, the police filed what the Congress calls "false cases" against former MLA Sukh Sarkaria and his son, Dilraj Sarkaria. Aujla demanded that cases should be filed against the AAP leadership itself.
A Stand for Democracy and Demand for Judicial Probe
Labeling the incident as a mockery of the democratic process, Aujla accused the state administration of being used as a "political weapon." The Congress leaders argued that participating in the zila parishad and block samiti elections under such coercive and violent circumstances would amount to a compromise with the very principles of democracy.
Consequently, the party has taken the firm decision to boycott the polls entirely. To ensure justice and transparency, they have demanded an independent inquiry into the Bhindi Saidan incident. The Congress has called for the investigation to be conducted by a sitting High Court judge to uncover the complete truth and hold the real culprits accountable.
The boycott decision was finalized in a meeting attended by key Congress figures including MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Dilraj Sarkaria, former MLA Harpratap Ajnala, and Bhagwant Pal Singh Sachar. This move is set to intensify the political confrontation in Punjab ahead of the local body elections.
