Leaders target Punjab government in Lakha Sidhana’s solidarity rally
After a month of registering a first information report (FIR) at the Harike police station, the Tarn Taran police on Saturday announced Sidhana was innocent in the cross-border arms and drugs smuggling and extortion case.
Leaders from different political parties on Sunday joined the Sikh hardliners to condemn the Punjab police for registering an unfounded criminal case against gangster-turned-politician Lakwinder Singh alias Lakha Sidhana.
At a well-attended public rally at Bathinda’s Mehraj, speakers said the top leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab government were behind ‘parcha raj’ against political opponents.
AAP national convener and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and the party’s Rajya Sabha member Raghav Chaddha were targeted by the speakers at the rally held to extend solidarity with Sidhana.
After a month of registering a first information report (FIR) at the Harike police station, the Tarn Taran police on Saturday announced Sidhana was innocent in the cross-border arms and drugs smuggling and extortion case.
The FIR was reportedly registered based on a ‘tip-off’ which was received by a team of Harike police.
Addressing the rally, Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira gave a call to unite and fight against the state and central authorities for harassing Punjabi activists.
“Scores of AAP MLAs are facing criminal cases. Instead of initiating a probe against their people, the Mann government is trying to implicate a person like Sidhana, who has been fighting in support of Punjabis. It was a serious matter that police levelled frivolous charges against an individual,” said Khaira.
Sidhana, who was fielded by Sanyukt Samaj Morcha (SSM) from the Maur constituency in the last state elections, said instead of focusing on development issues, the AAP government was engaged in witch-hunting.
Sangrur member of parliament Simranjit Singh Mann charged the Punjab government for working in league with the BJP-led centre for suppressing the interests of Punjab and Sikhs.
Slain singer-turned-Congress leader Sidhu Moose Wala’s father Balkaur Singh said instead of fulfilling its pre-poll promise to make ‘rangla Punjab’, the state government has failed on the law and order front.
“There was the clout of police with the gangster, and it was evident when a criminal (Deepak Tinu, a close aide of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi) fled from the custody of Mansa police. Anyone who speaks against the government is hounded by the police,” he added.
Khalistan ideologue and controversial preacher Amritpal Singh Sandhu, chief of the ultra-Left farm organisation BKU (Krantikari) Surjit Singh Phul, was among the others who addressed the gathering.
