Maan: This dusty nondescript village adjoining Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal`s village is living in the shadow of "terror and fear" with close to 150 Congress supporters on the run a week after violence during the local bodies elections.
The residents of the village with a population of about 3,500 people have been living in fear for the past over a week after the opposition Congress and ruling Akali supporters clashed in this village and the police set out on a hunt for the Congress supporters, say local residents.
The clash took place after the ruling outfit supporters allegedly tried to capture a booth in Maan village, which comes within the Lambi Assembly constituency, represented by the Chief Minister. The Chief Minister hails from Badal.
Several houses in the village are locked, with occupants deserting them out of fear of police action after the clash that left six persons injured.
Six vehicles were set on fire following which around 150 villagers, mostly Congress supporters, were booked for rioting, arson, attempt to murder and other charges.
Many villagers who are here allege that they are living in constant fear and terror.
Harcharan Singh (45) and son Jagmeet Singh (23) saw a youth forcibly capturing a booth. They stopped him, but he was joined by others.
Later on, the police booked both of them instead of taking action against the booth capturers, alleged a middle-aged woman, whose both kin are on the run now.
Those booked for setting fire to the vehicles are Congress supporters, claimed a elder of this sleepy village, about 300 km from state capital Chandigarh.
Today, the eerie silence in the village was broken by cavalcade of vehicles which brought a number of State Congress leaders led by PCC chief Pratap Singh Bajwa here.
Besides Bajwa, among other party leaders who paid a visit included Santosh Chaudhry, Anandpur Sahib MP, Ravneet Singh Bittu and MLAs Karan Kaur Brar and Raja Warring.
As the cavalcade, that included some journalists from Chandigarh, made its way crossing through the metalled roads of Badal village to the narrow and dusty approach roads of this village, there was sudden activity all around.
PTI
