Chandigarh, June 10: Castigating Amarinder Singh government for it's "inept" handling of situation after caste clashes erupted in the state, Shiromani Akali Dal chief Parkash Singh Badal today described as "eyewash" the police and administrative reshuffle in violence ridden Jalandhar. "Shifting of few officers from here and there is not going to solve the problem... It is just to befool the people and a mere eyewash," the former chief minister told reporters after chairing his party's political affairs committee meeting here.

Punjab government yesterday removed the DIG, SSP, SDM and ADC of Jalandhar, four days after caste clashes erupted in the state.
Badal said that the SAD had constituted a seven-member committee which will visit Jalandhar and Talhan village and assess the situation and prepare a report on it.

Charging the state government with misusing official machinery against political opponents during elections in the past, Badal demanded deployment of para-military forces during the forthcoming polls to gram panchayats on June 30.
He said that he would soon write to the Election Commission seeking deployment of para-military forces during polling to gram panchayats.


"Even election observers should be from outside Punjab," he added.

Badal said that his party would district level meetings from July 5 to 9 at various places in the state.

Bureau Report