Fazilka: Two Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers were injured, one critically, during a violent clash at the Block Development and Panchayat Office (BDPO) in Jalalabad, Fazilka district, on Saturday with gunshots being fired during the confrontation, according to the police.
According to reports, the altercation occurred when Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Vardev Singh Nonni Mann and his supporters arrived at the BDPO office, where AAP workers were already present.
Mann’s group reportedly feared that the nomination papers of a relative contesting the rural body elections would be rejected following a complaint by AAP-backed candidate Mandeep Brar from Muhammadewala village. Nonni Mann’s group has faced accusations of illegal land possession.
The situation escalated into violence when an argument broke out between Mandeep Brar and Mann’s group, leading to gunfire. Mandeep sustained a gunshot wound to the chest and was immediately transferred to DMC Ludhiana for advanced treatment.
Another injured AAP supporter, who has yet to be identified, was shot in the hand and taken to a hospital in Faridkot.
Fazilka Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Varinder Singh Brar, who inspected the crime scene, confirmed that the violence stemmed from a longstanding dispute.
“Mandeep Brar had filed a complaint against Nonni Mann’s camp for allegedly illegally occupying panchayat land for a private school in their village, Chak Suhele Wala. The complaint led to the state government withdrawing a no objection certificate for the school, which is also under litigation,” he said.
Police are in the process of registering a case against those involved, and SSP Brar assured that a thorough investigation is underway.
