Chandigarh, May 17 Partap Singh Bajwa President of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) today expressed grave concern over �political violence' against Congress candidates and workers during block Samiti and Zila Parishad elections and demanded to impose President's rule in the border state. 
In a hard hitting statement Mr.Bajwa condemned the murderous attack on Malkiat Singh Congress candidate from Bhai Roopa Zone in Bathinda district at Adampur village in which he was seriously injured. His brother Jaspreet Singh was killed and son Rajwinder Singh Raju and another local leader Lakha Sidhana were seriously injured. He blamed a senior Akali Minister behind the attack. He said that beside attacks on Congress workers, the spate of killings, robberies, rapes, kidnapping and thefts has witnessed steep rise. The people of Punjab are living in state of terror and nobody is safe. Mr. Bajwa said that he would soon meet the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and request him to seek report from Governor of Punjab on deteriorating law and order situation in the state. He also demanded from Union Home Minister Mr. Sushil Shinde to send high level team from center to take stock of law and order situation in Punjab. He said that he had submitted memorandum to the Governor of Punjab Mr.Shiv Raj Patil and State Election Commissioner (SEC) Mr.S.S.Brar about threat to Congress candidates during block samiti and Zila Parishad elections. He reiterated his demand to deploy central para-military forces to conduct Panchayati Raj elections. He said that SAD-BJP government has forced number of Congress candidates to withdraw from contest and issuing threats to the contesting candidates.
Taking a dig at the SEC Mr.S.S.Brar, the PPCC President said that Mr.Brar proved to be a spineless person. He is holding the constitutional post and played a mute spectator to the rigging of election process and attacks on Congress workers. Mr. Bajwa said Mr.Brar had sold his conscience to the SAD-BJP government and fully responsible for the murder of democracy. He has no right to continue his post and it will be better for him to step down gracefully to save the prestige of SEC's post. Mr.Bajwa said that SEC didn't even reply to the demands to video graph the voting at booths and deposit arms before beginning of election process.