Ahead of counting votes, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday lambasted the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leadership for its desperate attempts to divert attention from its impending defeat in the Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections.

In a statement on Friday, the CM said the Akalis were clearly frustrated by its series of electoral defeats, which the latest polls were all set to cap, and was trying to build a case for itself in the face of its imminent trouncing in the same.

On SAD leaders allegation that the police helped Congress during the polls and sought the registration of a case against senior superintendent of police (SSP) Muktsar for the same, Amarinder said the police officer had been doing his job, ensuring that the elections went off peacefully.

Lashing out at the SAD leadership’s shameless behaviour in targeting the officer, the CM said Akalis had always sought to undermine the authority of the police and administrative officers in the state and had once again shown that it had no respect for such officials.

He said the police force had finally been freed of the shackles under which it was kept by the erstwhile Akali government.

Expressing shock at the baseless charges against the SSP, Amarinder said it was obvious that the SAD leadership, which had never promoted or encouraged honesty among the officers, believed every official to be as corrupt as they themselves were.

It was difficult for them to accept the fact that officials, under the Congress government, were working honestly and fearlessly to uphold the state’s law and order, he added.

The CM rejected outright the SAD demand for the transfer of the SSP over its baseless allegations. He also came down heavily on the SAD leadership for trying to unleash an atmosphere of terror in order to intimidate the people and government officials in the state.

Citing videos of SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal ordering his supporters to attack and intimidate voters, which had gone widely viral on the social media, Amarinder said the real face of the party and its leadership had been totally exposed.

Having clearly learnt no lessons from its series of poll defeats, beginning with last year’s Assembly election, the Akalis still seemed to be holding to the false belief that it could force its way to victory through hooliganism and rowdysm, said the CM.