CHANDIGARH: The Akali Dal (Badal), last week, expressed shock at the “total moral indifference” shown by Chief Election Commissioner T.N. Seshan on “clear irrefutable allegations of electoral malpractices” by the Congress(1) and the state government in the Jalandhar parliamentary bye lection.
The party working committee at its meeting here observed that the conduct of the CEC had been 4 disgrace to the office and this had finally and irrevocably torn the hypocritical mask of morality worn by Seshan.
Briefing newsmen after the meeting, party president Parkash Singh Badal said the Akali Dal (Badal) and the people of Punjab demand an explanation as to what more evidence did Soshan require to act than clear photographic proof of the government malpractices. Seshan owed it to the people to explain the divergent standards adopted by him 6n the Kalka and Jalandhar by elections,
Badal said the party would consider filing an election petition at a meeting of the district jathedars here soon. When asked why his party had now demanded postponement of the election, Badal said. “We were not in favor of election postponement.”
He clarified his party had been demanding action against the government but did not especially the type of action.
Badal said his party was of the firm view that “in spite of shame less and massive rigging, brow beating, highhandedness and other electoral malpractices by the ruling party, the people of Jalandhar constituency had shown remarkable courage and farsightedness in withstanding these pressures to a great extent in delivering a verdict which fills the party with hope and confidence, The people voted forcefully against dissensions in the Panthic ranks and gave a clear verdict in favor of issue based politics.”
He refuted the allegations that he stood in the way of fielding a common Akali candidate. He said he had fully supported the candidature. of Barjinder Singh, editor, Ajit, as a common candidate but it was not acceptable to Akali Dal (Mann) president, Simranjit Singh Mann.
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Gurcharan Singh Tohra had approached Mann with this proposal. The party resolved to strengthen its fight against inhuman treatment being meted out to Punjabis in the name of fighting militancy and its firm commitment to safe guard the interests of the people of the state. The party reiterated ils firm faith in the democratic means and Badal said it was fully com mitted to a peaceful and prosperous Punjab.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 11, 1993
