Punjab: Akali Dal worker allegedly attacked by Congress workers

A few hours before polling began here on Sunday, a Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) worker was allegedly attacked by Congress workers on Saturday night in the Bathinda parliamentary constituency represented by Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal. Akali Dal worker Nirmal Singh was attacked when he had gone to a village for some work.

Nirmal Singh's son Gurpreet Singh claimed, "My father who is an Akali Dal worker had gone to a village. Some Congress workers followed him, so he went to my uncles' house to escape. But they waited for my father to come out. When he came out, they attacked him with sickles and rods. My father has sustained injuries on his head, shoulder and leg." Nirmal has been admitted to a hospital for treatment.

Police version on the incident is awaited. Badal, a two-time MP from Bathinda is pitted against Congress' Raja Warring, AAP's Baljinder Kaur and Punjab Democratic Alliance's Sukhpal Singh Khaira.