TARN TARAN, Dec. 4 -- TARN TARAN Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Congress held protests at Bhikhiwind on Wednesday, alleging that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers stopped their party candidates from filing nominations for the upcoming Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti polls. The elections are scheduled for December 14. SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, who was present outside the Bhikhiwind Block office, alleged that nomination papers were torn during a melee orchestrated at the behest of AAP. A scuffle broke out when SAD candidates under the leadership of former Khemkaran MLA Virsa Singh Valtoha and and his son, Gauravdeep Singh Valtoha tried to enter the office to file papers. Following this, workers of SAD and Congress blocked the Bhikhiwind Chowk and raised slogans against the government. "We will not allow this corrupt and failed government to suppress democracy at any cost," Sukhbir said. He also called up the state election commissioner to apprise him of the situation. Congress block president Gurmukh Singh Sandpura said that when they arrived to submit their candidates' forms, AAP workers pushed them, snatched papers from one candidate, tore the file, and prevented others from submitting their documents. Tarn Taran SSP Surendra Lamba visited the dharna site and ensured that all candidates filed their nomination papers. A SAD delegation led by its legal cell chairman, Arshdeep Singh Kler, filed a written complaint with the state election commission (SEC) on the alleged non-cooperation of local election officials in various districts and urged it to issue requisite directions to comply with the model code of conduct. Congress MLA Pargat Singh also targeted the AAP, accusing it of misusing police and district administration to prevent opposition candidates from filing their nomination papers. He said former Congress MLA Madan Lal Jalalpur staged a similar protest in Patiala. Local AAP MLA (Khemaran) Sarwan Singh Dhun refuted the charges. "All the candidates were standing in queues to file papers. Minutes before the 3pm deadline, he (Virsa Singh Valtoha), along with the candidates, appeared and started challenging those who were already there. This led to the scuffle," he said....