Chandigarh, September 8
Led by Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC), thousands of Congress workers from across the state today staged a massive protest demonstration against the Aam Aadmi Party government. The party workers gathered outside the Punjab Congress Bhawan here and started marching towards the Chief Minister’s residence for the gherao. However, they were stopped by a massive contingent of police which prevented them from reaching the Chief Minister’s residence.
Speaking on the occasion, Warring demanded immediate dismissal of the Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema and his arrest for being responsible for the suicide of Gulzar Singh of Dirba. He pointed out, Gulzar Singh had said it in his dying declaration that Cheema was responsible for his suicide. He also referred to the police brutality unleashed on Mohanjit Singh of Sheron village just because he had dared to show a black flag to the Chief Minister.
Warring also questioned the Chief Minister’s silence over the protection granted to a rape accused. He noted that there was a secret understanding between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah on the one hand and Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann on the other. He said, the BJP wants the AAP to help it in Gujarat by dividing the anti-BJP votes and in a quid pro quo, the BJP will help the AAP in Punjab.
Warring said, that is why the Enforcement Directorate was playing a fixed match with the Punjab Police over the arrest of corruption accused. He asked, why not the ED acts the way it acted in case of the Congress leaders like Sadhu Singh who were straightway arrested. The ED did not ask the Punjab Police to register an FIR in that case, he pointed out, while adding, in the case of AAP leaders it was dilly dallying deliberately.
Lashing out at the AAP for inducting convicted gangsters like Gupreet Singh Sekhon, Warring said that while the people of Punjab wanted to get rid of the gangsters, the ruling party was inducting them and providing them with political platform and power. He said, Sekhon had been convicted and sentenced and was out just because the High Court had suspended his sentence. “What message are you giving to people of Punjab?” he asked Mann.
The PPCC president also condemned the Chief Minister’s hostile attitude towards the government employees by denying them their rightful DA. Not only was the government refusing them the DA it was treating them like its enemies.
Asserting his unfailing loyalty and commitment towards the Congress party, Warring said, no matter what position he held, he will always remain with the Congress which had given him so much. He told the workers that they must look forward towards the party and ensure that every Congress candidate who gets the party ticket wins so that Punjab gets rid of the corrupt and incompetent government.
Warring also announced that very soon he will be showing and waving the black flags not in front of the Chief Minister, but right on his stage where he will be speaking. He said, while on Sunday he and the party workers were prevented by the police from reaching the venue, next time he will ensure to reach Mann’s stage come what may. All the 25 District Congress Committee presidents participated in today’s protest.
Among the senior leaders present included Rana KP Singh, Amit Vij, Balbir Sidhu, Brahm Mohindra, Kuljeet Nagra, Shamsher Singh Dullo, Gurjeet Aujla, Dalvir Goldy, Dr Raj Kumar Verka, Hardyal Kambhoj, Capt Sandeep Sandhu, Sadhu Singh Dharmsot, Nishat Akhtar, Sukhwinder Danny, Hari Khai, Lakhvir Lakha, Sham Sunder Arora, Mamata Dutta, Kulbir Zira, Rakesh Pandey, Pawan Dewan, Sunil Dutti, Pawan Adia, Mohit mohindra and others.