SHAHKOT
The Shahkot police have booked and arrested AAP MLA Baba Bakala(Amritsar) Dalbir Singh Tong on the charge of violating an order of the Jalandhar deputy commissioner not to be present in the Jalandhar parliament constituency after the campaign for by-election ended on May 8.
The Station House Officer (SHO) Baljit Singh said that Shahkot MLA and congress leader Hardev Singh Laadi Sherowalia confronted Tong and his associates at a polling booth at Rupewali village on Wednesday and gheraoed them and handed them over to the police.
SHO said AAP MLA violated the model code of conduct and was touring villages even though every outsider was asked to leave Jalandhar parliamentary constituency when the campaign for by-election ended on May 8.
Laddi said he has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission of India and alleged that APP MLA and his associates threatened people.
A minor clash was witnessed in Rupewali village between the Congress and APP workers.
H.S .Sherowalai said he also lodged a complaint with Tong at Shahkot police station for registering FIR in this connection.
SHO said that a case under section 188(disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code has been registered against MLA Dalbir Singh Tong who was arrested and released on bail
Earlier Punjab Chief Electoral Officer Sibin C said that MLA of Baba Bakala, Dalbir Singh Tong, was arrested for being present in the Jalandhar constituency and later released on bail.
He said that after receiving photographs of outsiders present near polling booths, the police have been instructed to conduct checks and make public announcements urging those who are not voters in Jalandhar, to leave the constituency immediately.
Voting for a four-cornered electoral began at 8 am, with the AAP, Congress, BJP, and Shiromani Akali Dal vying to outdo each other in the Dalit stronghold.
The by-poll was necessitated by the death of Congress MP Santokh Chaudhary due to a heart attack.