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Congress leaders rounded-up after protest at Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann’s residence
Congress leaders said Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann refused to meet them to discuss law & order; AAP said Congress was protesting to support their party colleagues facing corruption charges
Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and leader of opposition Partap Singh Bajwa were among the Congress leaders rounded up by the UT Police on Thursday after they staged a sit-in at chief minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann’s residence in Chandigarh.
The Congress leaders, who went to Mann’s official residence here to meet him, held the impromptu protest, claiming that the CM refused to give them an audience despite prior appointment. They had gone to the CM’s residence to draw his attention towards the “deteriorating” law and order situation in the state. The opposition leaders were let inside, but they could not meet the CM and sat on a dharna inside the residential complex, raising slogans against Mann and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.
Contradictory claims
Mann, however, denied that the Congress leaders were given time by him, and accused them of holding the protest in support of their party colleagues facing corruption charges.
The Congress leaders were “rounded up” by the Chandigarh Police and taken to the Sector 3 police station, but not before some of them had a heated argument with police officials present at the spot. “After preliminary questioning, they were allowed to leave. No one has been arrested or detained in this matter,” said Kuldeep Singh Chahal, senior superintendent of police (SSP), Chandigarh. A case was registered under sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 341 (wrongful restraint), and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) on the complaint of Swarnjit Singh, DSP,CM Punjab Residence, against 36 present and former MLAs and other workers of the Congress.
Warring said they (he and other leaders) had come after taking time from the CM in advance, but he refused to meet them. “We were made to wait outside for 45 minutes, and then taken to the conference room only to be told that the CM is busy and will meet us at 1 pm tomorrow,” the PPCC chief said. Bajwa accused the AAP government of insulting the elected representatives and other senior leaders by frisking them. “I have never faced anything like this. They talked of badlav (bringing change). Is this the badlav they promised to usher in?” the leader of opposition said. He also announced to boycott Mann. Former deputy chief ministers OP Soni and Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and former speaker Rana KP Singh and ex-ministers Bharat Bhushan Ashu and Gurkirat Singh Kotli were among the Congress leaders present during the protest.
AAP, Cong war of words
The protest sparked off a war of words between leaders of the parties with the AAP alleging that the Congress leaders held the protest in support of their corrupt colleagues whereas the latter said they went to meet the CM to discuss the law and order situation. Mann accused the Congress leaders of holding the protest in support of their leaders facing corruption charges. Supporting those who looted Punjab is a proof that bribery is in their blood, he said in a post on Twitter.
AAP’s Rajya Sabha member Raghav Chadha said they (Congress leaders) appeared to have become restive as skeletons have started to tumble out of the closet. “A farcical theatre of absurdity is on display by Punjab Congress, as they staged a protest in support of misdeeds of their corrupt ministers,” he tweeted. Both were apparently referring to the arrest former minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot and naming of another ex-minister Sangat Singh Gilzian in a corruption case.
Warring said the CM was either scared of meeting them as he had no explanation about the deteriorating law and order situation in the state or his masters in Delhi had not granted him the permission. Randhawa also lashed out at the government for its dictatorial approach in dealing with the opposition.
