punjab

Updated: Sep 26, 2016 20:32 IST

On a day when Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi faced a show in Uttar Pradesh, the chief minister of Punjab also had a protest missile thrown at him.

Having failed to meet CM Parkash Singh Badal at his residence, a 25-year-old unemployed man, Dinesh Kumar, hurled his certificates, including a graduation degree, and job application at the CM’s vehicle in the village Badal in Muktsar district on Monday.

Dinesh of Killianwali village is a commerce graduate and wanted to meet Badal to request him for employment, but security personnel reportedly stopped him outside the CM’s residence.

Later, as the CM’s cavalcade came out from the house, Dinesh hurled a bunch of papers at CM’s vehicle. He was immediately taken into custody and was released later. His certificates had been gathered by the police who handed them over to him.

In its manifesto for the 2012 polls, Badal-led Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) had promised to create 10 lakh jobs.

Dinesh told HT, “I went to request the CM for employment since I am a graduate in commerce and have good typing speed too. I had no wrong intentions but the whole episode happened due to the sheer rush of people outside the CM’s residence.”

“Even police questioned my intentions initially, but then gave me a clean chit,” he added.

‘War with Pakistan will hurt both Punjabs’

Meanwhile, speaking on the sidelines of a sangat darshan (public meet) in the Lambi constituency on Monday, Badal asked Pakistan to refrain from pushing India to war, saying that in such an event east and west Punjab on either side of the international border would suffer the most. “Punjab on both sides of the border will have to bear the brunt in case a war takes place between India and Pakistan,” he said.

Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal during the sangat darshan in Lambi on Monday. (HT Photo)

On the Indus water treaty, Badal said the government of India would take a decision in the interest of the country and aim at protecting its integrity.

On state politics, he said new fronts ahead of assembly elections in the state would have no effect. The CM also rubbished Punjab Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh’s remark that there was a possibility of rigging electronic voting machines (EVMs) during the elections. “EVMs are handled and managed by the election commission and there is not even the remotest possibility of tampering with them, he said, adding that the SAD-BJP combine had no problem if the election commission brings EVMs from other states.

Earlier, Badal addressed public gatherings at Bhullarwala, Bitiwala, Kakhaanwali and Middukhera villages.