Congress seeks ban on Asthana’s entry into Patiala

CHANDIGARH, April 19
The Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee has sought ban on the entry of DIG AK Asthana into Patiala as he was indulging in political activities and threatening and intimidating voters there despite having been transferred out.

In a representation to the Chief Election Commissioner of India, the coordinator of the campaign committee Lt Col CD Singh Kamboj pointed out, Asthana’s continuous stay in Patiala was with the obvious intent of helping the ruling Akali-BJP alliance in the forthcoming parliamentary elections.

The complaint said, Asthana was defying the Election Commission orders by virtue of which he had been transferred out of Patiala. Although he has been transferred from Patiala, he continues to remain stationed there telling his subordinates and people that he was to rejoin after elections, with the obvious hint that they should do his bidding in the elections.

The Congress has already brought to the notice of the political activities of Asthana in clear violations of his service conduct as also the Election Commission of India guidelines. The complaint urged the commission to ensure that Asthana’s entry into Patiala till the time of election is banned. Otherwise the purpose of his transfer from Patiala would get defeated as he remains stationed there, enjoying full powers of a serving police officer.

The complaint said, he has defied the orders of the Commission with impunity, thus making the orders of the Commission “totally infructuous” with open support from the Punjab government.

The committee also complained against Satinder Singh, who has recently been posted as S.P. City, Amritsar by the Punjab Government. The complaint alleged, his name was deliberately recommended and sent to Election Commission of India for posting at Amritsar as he has sizable number of relatives in the city and near by village which fall under Amritsar parliamentary constituency. “The Akali-BJP alliance can use his influence on his relatives for their own favour, in the coming elections”, it observed, while urging the commission to get him transferred immediately out of Amritsar in the interest of free and fair elections.