JALANDHAR: The Akali Dal (Badal), last week demanded a judicial commission headed by a Supreme Court judge to probe the irregularities and illegalities” already committed by the ruling Congress (I) into all the elections held in Punjab, including the one which brought the min only government of Mr. Beant Singh into power, to “save democracy and prevent the state from going the Kashmir way.”
Detailing the numerous “irregularities and illegalities” committed in the zila Parishad and panchayat samiti elections, in a press conference held here, the party’s Senior Vice-president and the member of its Political Affairs Committee, ‘Mr, Kuldip Singh Wadala, appealed to the national opposition parties to rescue the democracy from the dictatorial streak of the ruling Congress (I) at the Center and in Punjab.
He said the National opposition must realize that the situation in Kashmir has come to the present pass because the process of democracy had been undermined over the years. The Akali leader said Punjab could only be saved from going the Kashmir way if these parties and the conscientious people in the country would wake up to check the abuse of power by the ruling party. Mr. Wadala alleged that the ruling Congress party had been tramp ling over the democratic process ever since it had come to power through “a farce of elections” held in February, 1992.
Challenging the official claim of victory of the Congress(I) in the Zia Parishad and panchayat samiti elections he claimed that the Akali Dal (Badal) had won about 80 zila parishad and about 30 panchayat samiti elections with charges of the entire process haying allegedly been rigged. He alleged that the way the entire government machinery was working in favor of the ruling party would have dangerous consequences on the whole democratic setup.
Mr. Wadala said the Congress(I) obsession with ruling at all levels, the state, the district, tehsil, block and panchayat by throwing over board all democratic norms of governance, would have danger out consequences in Punjab. Detailing the abuse of electoral process in the recent elections, the Akali leader alleged that the entire process of enactment of Punjab Panchayat Raj Act, delimitation of constituencies interpolation of villages, preparation of voters’ lists, setting up of polling booths, deployment of personnel for polling and counting of voles was arbitrary and against all democratic norms.
Giving illustration of abuse of the electoral process, the Akal leaders said as many as 984 out of the total 812 voters of Tahsil Sahib, Cheema and Ania villages approved by the Punjab and Haryana high court and accepted by the election tehsildar here were not allowed to cast their votes in zone four of Kudowal on September 30.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 14, 1994
