5 injured in clash between SAD-BJP, Congress workers

A clash broke out today between workers of the ruling Congress and the SAD-BJP combine over distribution of subsidised ration at Manak village, resulting in injuries to five persons.
Sarabjit Singh, Mangat Ram and Pardeep Singh of the SAD- BJP and Balwinder Singh and Surinder Singh of the Congress were injured in the incident and hospitalised, the police said.
Village head Gurdeep Singh Lali, who owes allegiance to the SAD-BJP, said "acrimony" lingered in Manak since the recently held bypoll for the post of 'sarpanch', which he won.
He said Congress workers had gathered to distribute subsidised ration among the poor under the state government's scheme.

Workers of the SAD-BJP objected to it, saying the Congress men should have taken the village head in confidence before doing anything.
This led to a heated argument between the two groups, which snowballed into a clash, he claimed.
Congress workers, however, claimed that they had taken the village head in confidence on the issue of distribution of ration.
The police said they were looking into the matter.