Mandeep Singh Brar, an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and candidate in upcoming Punjab local body polls, was shot at during an argument with a Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader in Jalalabad in Punjab's Fazilka district on Sunday.
He sustained injuries in his chest and is currently hospitalised in a Ludhiana hospital. His condition is said to be critical.
"Brar was contesting the Sarpanch elections. When he went to the BDPO office to file his nomination, a person belonging to the Akali Dal shot him with his licenced weapon. This is a very shameful incident which we condemn", India Today has quoted Tarunpreet Singh Saundh, the Panchayati Raj Minister of Punjab, as saying.
The AAP minister went on to allege that the 'SAD doesn't want an atmoshphere of peace in Punjab, and continues to threat those who support AAP'.
Moreover, Jagdeep Kamboj Goldy, AAP's Jalalabad MLA, an onlooker to the incident, alleged that the accused had occupied Panchayat land and the AAP candidate was opposing it, leading to the firing.
"The individual from the opposing party had illegally occupied Panchayat land, a matter that was objected to in Panchayat and was also pending in the High Court. Citing this our leader raised objections to his [Akali Dal candidate] nomination papers. When he came out, the opposition party confronted him, saying, 'Who are you to challenge our nomination?' and then shot at him," Goldy said.
Meanwhile, senior police officials have arrived at the spot to monitor the situation. Elections to 13,229 gram panchayats across Punjab will be held on October 15.
