Cong holds statewide protests against atrocities on Dalits

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 24

The Punjab Congress staged statewide protests against the NDAgovernment here today over the increasing atrocities on the Dalits in the country.

The Moga unit burnt an effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the main square of the city. PPCC general secretaries Dr Malti Thapar and Darshan Singh Brar, secretaries Ravi Grewal, Manjit Mann and district president Col Babu Singh (retd), along with the local party workers, participated in the protest.

In Sangrur, party members and activists, led by district president Rajinder Singh Raja, staged a dharna and a rally near the city police station.

Hundreds of members of the Fazilka District Congress Committee staged a demonstration outside local MLA and Health Minister Surjit Kumar Jyani’s office at the grain market today. They were protesting against the alleged atrocities on Dalits in the PM’s home state, Gujarat. The dharna was led by DCC president Vimal Thatai.

Incidents such as the murder of Dalit youth Bhim Sain Tank in Abohar was also raised by the party leaders.

Various factions of the Congress in Phagwara came on one platform to hold a dharna. The protesters raised slogans against the Union government and burnt Modi’s effigy. They described both the Modi-led NDA government and the Badal-led state government as anti-Dalit.