Patiala, April 10
Leaders cutting across party lines gathered in Patiala on Friday to attend the final prayer ceremony of former Punjab cabinet minister and senior Congress leader Lal Singh. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the event, Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa once again targeted Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over the issue of gangster in the state.
He questioned the Aam Aadmi Party government over how a gangster was allegedly allowed to give an interview from inside a jail and said the government had still not provided an explanation.
Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Raja Warring also criticised the state government over its policy of announcing rewards for gangsters.
He said people in Punjab were already worried about their safety and questioned whether citizens should focus on protecting themselves or locating gangsters.
Raising the issue of crop damage, Raja Warring said he had written to the Chief Minister and the Agriculture Minister seeking relief for farmers whose crops had been affected.
He said if the government failed to address the issue, the Congress party would not hesitate to stage protests in support of farmers.
Among those who attended the ceremony were Patiala MP Preneet Kaur, senior Akali leader Prem Singh Chandumajra, Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian, Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, and Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa.
The leaders paid floral tributes to Lal Singh and remembered his contribution to Punjab politics and public life.
