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Cong protests against female shopkeeper’s harassment by Mohali police
Led by senior Congress leader and former health minister Balbir Singh Sidhu, local Congress leaders and workers raised slogans against the Punjab government and the police administration
Alleging high-handedness by the Punjab Police under the patronage of the AAP government, the Congress held a protest outside the SSP office in Sector 76.
Led by senior Congress leader and former health minister Balbir Singh Sidhu, local Congress leaders and workers raised slogans against the Punjab government and the police administration.
The protesters highlighted the case of a woman shopkeeper, who approached the Mohali police with a complaint of harassment and intimidation, but the police allegedly threatened her and sent her back.
According to the woman, who runs a small shop in the Phase 1 market area, she had been facing repeated harassment and abusive behaviour from certain individuals in the locality. She alleged that the accused used abusive language and created disturbance near her shop on a regular basis.
The woman claimed that when she approached the Phase 1 police station to lodge a complaint, instead of registering her grievance, police officials allegedly threatened and intimidated her. She alleged that the station house officer warned her of legal action and refused to take her complaint seriously.
She further alleged that when she returned to the police station recently to pursue the matter, the police again declined to register a case. According to her, police also summoned the president of the Phase-1 Market Committee and several shopkeepers to the police station, where they were allegedly made to wait for hours.
The woman demanded that the authorities ensure her safety and take strict action against those harassing her so she can continue running her shop without fear.
Addressing the protesters, Balbir Singh Sidhu demanded an impartial inquiry and action against the police officials concerned. He warned that the party would intensify its protest if the administration failed to address the issue. He alleged that this was not merely a personal matter but a reflection of the “oppressive environment created under the patronage of AAP MLA Kulwant Singh”, where common people were being subjected to injustice.
