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As the counting for panchayat polls began precocious connected Tuesday, tensions ran precocious crossed galore villages successful Punjab. Teachers connected canvass work became the targets of wide violence, and alarming videos began circulating, showing teachers pleading for rescue. Some of them were allegedly attacked with stones, injured, and forced to enactment connected work done the nighttime amidst chaotic scenes.
Teachers progressive successful the polls alleged that the authorities failed to supply capable security. They criticised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, claiming that its pre-poll committedness to exempt teachers from specified duties proved hollow. According to the teachers, the medication could not adjacent guarantee the information of the polling staff, leaving galore exposed to unit connected October 15.
Videos sent from districts similar Ludhiana, Mansa, and Patiala purportedly showed convulsive mobs disrupting the process, undermining the government’s assertion that the polls were peaceful. Teachers were seen signaling the chaos connected their phones, hiding nether tables, and sending SOS messages, pleading for help.
Hit successful the head
A superior schoolhouse teacher, who claimed helium received 3 stitches to his caput aft the autobus ferrying canvass unit post-counting was attacked with stones by a mob successful Mansa district, expressed concerns implicit his safety. He said, “I americium the lone lad of my parents, and had I mislaid my beingness during this duty, who would person taken attraction of my aged parents?”
Requesting anonymity portion recounting the incident, helium shared: “The winning borderline was conscionable astir 250 votes. There was lone 1 Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) and 2 different inferior officers deployed with us. As tensions roseate with mobs gathering extracurricular the counting centre, the ASI informed elder officials, requesting an escort for our safety. A constabulary escort arrived, and we boarded the bus. However, arsenic we approached the colony entrance, a convulsive mob began pelting stones, adjacent attacking constabulary vehicles. The onslaught shattered each the autobus windows. One chromatic deed maine connected the head, causing terrible bleeding. Our operator bravely sped away. Some constabulary unit were besides injured. I received 3 stitches to my head. Is this the benignant of extortion provided to teachers and polling staff? This isn’t adjacent our job, yet our lives are endangered. FIR oregon not, it won’t alteration anything. Teachers person faced this during each panchayat poll.”
When teachers hid nether tables
In a abstracted incident, an SOS video allegedly from Dakha village, Ludhiana, went viral, showing polling unit hiding nether tables and chairs arsenic gunfire continued outside. Torn ballot papers laic scattered connected the floor. A teacher signaling the video could beryllium heard saying: “The full enactment is lying connected the floor. Many shots person been fired. We are each sitting connected the floor.”
A teacher posted successful Dakha said: “At first, we thought it was firecrackers, but soon realised it was gunfire. The unit panicked and took screen nether tables. Stones were besides thrown, and I moved the pistillate unit into different room. At slightest 6-7 women teachers were with us. Until 5 AM, we worked successful unsafe conditions. What benignant of work is this?”
Another video showed a frightened teacher signaling however candidates and their aides allegedly stormed a polling booth, chopped disconnected the powerfulness supply, and tore ballot papers portion constabulary reportedly stood by. The teacher, pleading for help, said: “Sir, I americium PRO Bhupesh from booth fig 108. The lights person been switched off, and the candidates and their agents person torn the ballot papers. Please rescue us; we are successful trouble. I person 4 women teachers with me. Please get america out. We are scared.”
Female teachers posted 100 kms away
Teachers, peculiarly pistillate staff, described harrowing experiences, moving successful unsafe conditions precocious into the night.
“In Shergarh colony of Patran successful Patiala, the villagers did not adjacent fto polling commencement connected clip and it went connected till midnight. The villagers abused polling unit assuming we were determination to broadside with a peculiar candidate. Tension heightened erstwhile the effect was a tie. Till 2.30 americium successful the night, pistillate teachers who were already connected work arsenic acold arsenic 100 kilometers from their homes, were roaming connected roads successful unsafe conditions. This is not however teachers should beryllium treated,” said a teacher.
Another teacher from a colony adjacent Kohara successful Ludhiana shared akin concerns, stating that they felt unsafe passim the nighttime arsenic tensions escalated pursuing a constrictive canvass result.
Teacher unions person expressed outrage astatine the handling of the situation. Dharamjit Singh Dhillon, authorities caput of the Lecturer Cadre Union, Punjab, said they had repeatedly requested the authorities predetermination committee to clasp the counting astatine the artifact level alternatively than astatine idiosyncratic polling booths. Pawan Kumar, property caput of the Democratic Teachers Front (DTF), Punjab, alleged that this predetermination saw
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