Youth Cong to stop Badals’ buses if case against PSU activists not withdrawn
FARIDKOT: Indian Youth Congress chief and Gidderbaha MLA Amrinder Singh Raja Warring on Friday said they would launch a statewide protest to stop the fleet of private buses owned by the Badals and their associates from plying if police did not withdraw the criminal case registered against activists of the Punjab Students Union (PSU) in a week.
The Youth Congress also demanded a judicial inquiry into the episode and suspension of police action against the protesters. It termed Section 307 of the IPC slapped against the protesters as irrelevant and harsher, invoked under “political pressure”. Warring, along with Youth Congress workers, visited this town on Friday and burnt the effigy of the state government in front of the city police station besides submitting a memorandum to the police.
The Congress workers and the party’s local leaders also raised slogans against the Punjab government, condemning the “arbitrary” action against the protesters terming it as an intimidation by the private bus lobby.
“We warn the police that the registration of the criminal case against the protesters should be cancelled in a week. The students were protesting peacefully against the Moga incident and did not intend to harm anyone. They were rather provoked by the staff of the bus which led to its damage out of anger against the lawlessness created by the private bus operators close to the Badal family,” Warring said, addressing the gathering outside the city police station.
“We rather demand the suspension of the police personnel who have registered the false case. If the case against the students is not cancelled, we will gherao the office of the SSP and the Congress would be forced to launch a statewide protest against the government,” Warring said.
“There was no murderous attack, it was a protest in a democratic way, so Section 307 is irrelevant; the protesters at best could be booked only for damage to private property,” said Darshan Dhilwan, state organising secretary of the SC cell of the Congress.
“The Youth Congress will fully support the students in getting justice,” said Dhanjit Singh Virk, Faridkot halqa incharge of the party.
The police had booked 20 people by name, including six women, for attempt to murder, causing hurt, deterring/ obstructing public servants from duty, and rioting and unlawful assembly with deadly weapons on Wednesday besides 15 to 20 unidentified people.
The police had booked the protesters on the complaint of Satpal Singh, adda incharge of New Deep bus service from Rajeana village.
The police claimed that the driver of the bus was assaulted with sharp-edged weapons and was injured.
However, Rajinder Singh, state general secretary of the Punjab Students Union, claimed that no one attacked the driver, who was seen driving the bus to the police station after the incident. He said they wanted a fair probe into the injuries to the driver, if any. He said the students carried only flags and wooden sticks, and there was no sharp-edged weapon with them.