10. Jalal warns SAD candidate of betrayal

Tribune News Service

Jalal (Bathinda), March 5

In an unusual incidents, a former MLA and a senior Congress leader, Mr Harbans Singh Jalal, mounted the stage where the SAD candidate from the Bathinda Lok Sabha seat, Mrs Paramjit Kaur, was addressing an election meeting here today. Mr Jalal coutioned her that she should be vigilant as a former Akali minister was trying to defeat her by conniving with Chief Minister of Punjab, Capt Amarinder Singh.

Mr Jalal, who joined the Congress a few years ago despite the fact that he was elected MLA once as an Akali candidate, stated this before hundreds of people even as a former Akali minister, Mr Sikander Singh Malooka, was sitting on the stage.

Mr Jalal, who gave Rs 10,000 as election fund to Mrs Paramjit Kaur, also alleged that a former Akali minister, who indulged in looting of government money during the SAD-BJP rule in Punjab, sought forgiveness from Capt Amarinder Singh for his “misdeeds” to avoid any legal action when the latter started inquiring into his “misdeeds”.

Mr Jalal also levelled an allegation that former Akali minister had also promised to Capt Amarinder Singh that he would betray his party to facilitate the victory of the Congress candidate in the coming Lok Sabha elections.

Mr Sikander Singh Malooka, while admitting that Mr Jalal levelled allegations against a former Akali MLA from the stage, said he (Mr Jalal) did not name any one.

Mr Malooka pointed out that in his speech he made an indirect reference to the incident pertaining to the encroachment of the pond of the village by Mr Jalal and, hence, to cover his “misdeeds”, Mr Jalal came on the stage and started making allegations against a former Akali MLA without mentioning his name.

He said had Mr Jalal levelled allegations against him, it would have become difficult for Mr Jalal to leave the place without being questioned. He said after Mr Jalal levelled allegations against a former MLA, the people, who participated in the election meeting, started raising slogans against him.

However, Mr Jalal claimed that after he levelled allegations against a former Akali minister, the people started congratulating him. He said he had given money to Mrs Paramjit Kaur as he had become an MLA due to the help extended to him by a late Akali MP, Dhana Singh Gulshan, father of Mrs Paramjit Kaur. He said he would campaign for the Congress candidate in the Lok Sabha elections.