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Akali leaders detained while trying to gherao residence of Punjab cabinet minister
Have been accusing Bharat Bhushan Ashu of sheltering LIP chief Simarjeet Singh Bains who was booked under rape charges two days ago
More than 24 Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leaders, including former ministers Maheshinder Singh Grewal, Hira Singh Gabria, and Darshan Singh Shivalik, were detained by police following the protest they held outside the residence of Punjab cabinet minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu near Kochar Market here on Wednesday.
The SAD leaders have been accusing Ashu of sheltering LIP chief Simarjeet Singh Bains who was booked under rape charges two days ago. Akali leader Harish Rai Dhanda and suspended DSP Balwinder Singh Sekhon had been raising the issue for the last one year and mounting pressure on both the police and the ruling Congress regime.
After the registration of FIR on Monday, Dhanda, Grewal and party’s district president Ranjit Singh Dhillon had sought the arrest of Bains within 24 hours failing which they warned of gheraoing the house of Ashu.
Gabria sustains injury
Hira Singh Gabria sustained an injury while being taken to the police station, which prompted councillor Mamta Ashu, who is the wife of Bharat Bhushan Ashu, to visit Sarabha Nagar police station to take stock of Gabria’s condition.
However, heated arguments were witnessed between Mamta and SAD leaders at the police station. Mamta accused the Akali leaders, particularly Dhanda, of deliberately dragging Ashu in the controversy. She said “there were many rape victims who were also seeking justice, but the SAD leader never stood with them”.
“Mamta Ashu complained that SAD leaders dragged her husband into the controversy. We told her that Ashu represents the government, and we are asking the government to tell us as to why Simarjeet Singh Bains was being given shelter,” Grewal said.
The protest began at 10am when a large number of SAD workers led by Dhillon, Grewal, Dhanda, and Youth Akali Dal (rural) president Prabhjot Singh Dhaliwal gathered outside the house of Ashu.
Dhanda was highly critical of the cabinet minister and said that it was at “Ashu’s behest that Bains was roaming free”.
Soon, women workers from Istri Akali Dal arrived at the protest site and begin raising anti-Congress slogans. Heavy police deployment was made outside the minister’s residence to tackle any eventuality.
The protesters headed towards Ashu’s house in Model Gram but were stopped by police at the Kochar Market chowk.
Traffic leading to the chowk from ESI Hospital Road was also diverted for over an hour, leading to chaos in Jawahar Nagar and surrounding area.
The agitation gained momentum as women workers of the party first tried to scale the barricades.
However, on failing to do so, the male workers of the Youth Akali Dal attempted to break the security cordon, but the police foiled their plan.
A tug of war-like situation went on for half an hour following which the police detained Gabria, Grewal, Shivalik, Dhanda and Dhillon, while several others were also taken into custody.
‘Bains is a Congress worker in disguise’
“We will continue to fight for the justice to the rape victim. Now, it is no secret that Bains is a Congress worker in disguise and being provided full shelter and support by his political masters,” said Dhillon.
“This is an utter lawlessness. Instead of taking action against Simarjeet Singh Bains and his accomplices, the police have arrested the SAD leaders, who are fighting for the justice,” said Dhaliwal.
Meanwhile, ACP (Civil Lines) Jatinder Singh Chopra said the SAD workers were detained for security purpose and later released from the custody.
