A fortnight before the civic body polls here, a scuffle broke out between activists of Punjab's ruling parties after a BJP minister's brother was allegedly attacked by "gun-wielding" SAD workers outside the SDM office today.
"Punjab cabinet minister Anil Joshi's brother Rakesh Kumar Raja alleged in an FIR that a mob led by SAD leader Baljeet Singh attacked him, fired gunshots and snatched away his personal revolver," police said, adding "Raja, however, escaped unhurt in the attack."
"The brawl occurred when leaders of both SAD and BJP had assembled outside the SDM office for verification of election papers with regard to the Nagar Council election," police said.
"The situation took an ugly turn when the local leadership of SAD and BJP assembled in the district court, outside the sub divisional magistrate court, and indulged in heated arguments over some issue," Superintendent of Police Tarn Taran Harvinder Singh said.
"The altercation later turned into a brawl between the two group and in the melee, a few round of shots were allegedly fired by SAD activists," the SP said.
The Bharatiya Janata Party and the Shiromani Akali Dal are jointly contesting the civic body elections scheduled for February 25.
Punjab Local Bodies, Medical Education & Research minister Anil Joshi reiterated his brother's allegation of an attack on him by Akali Dal workers.
"My brother fortunately escaped the attack as he went inside the SDM office to take refuge. Otherwise the chaos may have resulted in any untoward incident", Joshi said.
The minister also claimed that during the attack a security guard deputed with his brother was overpowered by the SAD-led mob.
