Cong MLA arrested for protesting laying of foundation stone

Kapurthala, Oct 12 (UNI) The police today arrested Bholath Congress MLA, Sukhpal Singh Khaira along with about 70 of his supporters when he tried to prevent former SGPC chief and senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader, Bibi Jagir Kaur from laying a water supply foundation stone at Akbarpur village.

He and his supporters were taken into custody under section 107/151 CrPC on the charge of breach of peace. This is the second time that Khaira has been arrested since the SAD-BJP came to power in March last year.

DSP Mohinder Singh who was supervising the security arrangements at the village confirmed the arrest of Khaira and his supporters. He said that they were made inflammatory speeches in the village and bloched the link road to Akbarpur.

After the arrest, Khaira and his supporters were taken in two buses to different police stations. They would be produced before a duty magistrate later. Khaira had defeated Bibi Jagir Kaur in the last assembly polls from Bholath.

Khaira alongwith his supporters had assembled at Akbarpur in the morning to lodge his protest against the relaying of the foundation stone by Bibi Jagir Kaur. A large number of Akali workers and supporters of Bibi Jagir Kaur had also assembled at the village and both the sides started raising slogans against each other before the foundation laying ceremony.

As the atmosphere became tense in the village, the police in order to prevent a possible clash between both the sides arrested Khaira and his supporters.

Khaira had yesterday in a letter to the Deputy Commissioner urged the district administration to prevent the relaying of foundation stone of the water supply scheme as he himself had performed this ceremony in 2006.

He alleged in the letter that the present village sarpanch, Gurbachan Singh had damaged the foundation stone laid by him at the behest of Bibi Jagir Kaur . He demanded the registration of a case against the culprits who had destroyed the foundation stone.

He said the water supply scheme in 32 villages in the Bholath sub division was funded by NABARD, a central government agency during the previous Congress regime.

Reacting to the letter of Khaira, Deputy Commissioner J M Balamurugan when contacted said no stone of the water supply scheme was 'officially' laid at Akbarpur, so there was no hitch in laying the foundation stone by Bibi Jagir Kaur.

UNI XC-HS BP1529