Led by Pilot, Punjab Congress leadership protests in Chandigarh against Finance Minister Cheema

Chandigarh: Led by the newly appointed All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary and in charge for Punjab, Sachin Pilot, the party’s entire top leadership, sinking their differences after a long time, along with thousands of workers, marched on Tuesday towards the residence of Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Cheema, demanding his resignation for alleged abetment of the suicide of a Dalit, Gulzar Singh.

However, the protestors were prevented from reaching Cheema’s residence by a heavy contingent of police. Besides, the police also used water cannons to block the protestors from marching ahead.

Several party workers, including senior leader Kuljit Nagra, were injured due to the heavy force of the water cannons.

Speaking on the occasion, Pilot said the Congress had nothing personal against the Finance Minister. But he asked, doesn’t the law demand registration of a first information report (FIR) followed by a detailed probe when a person has mentioned the minister’s name in his dying declaration, he asked.

Pilot said Gulzar Singh’s suicide was reflective of what was happening in Punjab, much against the claims made by the Aam Aadmi Party. He said the situation is such that a poor Dalit had to pay with his life just because he raised a question about the free availability of drugs to which his son had fallen victim.

He reminded the AAP that it had announced the appointment of a Dalit Deputy Chief Minister. What to speak of a Dalit Deputy CM, the Dalits like Gulzar Singh are forced to commit suicide under the AAP regime, he remarked.

Reminding AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal of the claims he made before the elections that drugs would be finished within three months of forming the government, the Congress leader said that after about five years of AAP rule, now the ‘chitta’ (synthetic drug) was so easily available that there was “home delivery” (of drugs).

Expressing his gratitude to the party workers for mobilising in such huge numbers at short notice, Pilot assured each one of them that the Congress will always stand by them. He said he, as the representative of the party high command, will be at the forefront of every fight and struggle to get justice. He said he will not leave any stone unturned to restore the dignity and honour of each and every Congress worker.

Senior Punjab leaders, comprising state President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa and former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, while speaking on the occasion, lashed out at the AAP government, saying it had proved to be the worst ever in the state. They said Bhagwant Mann had proved to be the most disastrous Chief Minister the state had.

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