Congress protest: Sachin Pilot, Bajwa and Warring detained

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Chandigarh, September 15

Congress leaders including AICC general secretary in-charge of Punjab Sachin Pilot, Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa and Punjab Congress president Raja Warring were detained by police on Tuesday during a protest over the alleged suicide of Gulzar Singh. The police used water cannons to disperse Congress workers as they marched from Congress Bhawan in Sector 15 towards the residence of AAP Cabinet Minister Harpal Singh Cheema.

The protesters demanded that Cheema’s name be included in the case and called for his resignation.

Former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, Gurjeet Singh Aujla and several other Congress leaders and workers took part in the protest. Gulzar Singh, a 53-year-old agricultural labourer from Toor Banzara village in Punjab’s Sangrur district, died by suicide after raising concerns about the availability of drugs, particularly ‘chitta’, in his area.

Speaking to the media, Pilot accused the AAP government of failing to deliver justice in the Gulzar Singh case. He alleged that Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema was “clearly involved” in the matter and responsible for Gulzar Singh’s death. Pilot also alleged that no proper inquiry had been conducted and accused the state government of weakening the administration.

He said the Congress would continue to raise the issue of drug abuse in Punjab and work towards eliminating the drug menace.
Pilot said those in power must be held accountable, adding that tackling drugs was the collective responsibility of everyone in the state.

A huge traffic jam hit Chandigarh’s Sectors 10, 11, 15 and 16 today, causing major inconvenience to commuters as Sachin Pilot led a march to Cheema’s residence.