Ropar youth corners Cheema over sacrilege cases, thrashed

Tribune News Service

Ropar, January 13

A youth was allegedly thrashed by Akali supporters when the former questioned Education Minister Daljit Singh Cheema over the incidents of sacrilege and Bargari police firing.

The incident took place at the minister’s public meeting at Lodhimajra village, near here, yesterday.

Irked over the incident, a large number of villagers staged a dharna at Maharaj Ranjit Singh Garden and lodged a complaint with Returning Officer Udaydeep Singh Sidhu this morning.

The victim, Harmeet Singh of Lodhimajra village, said Cheema during his campaign asked the audience to raise any question. He alleged that when he asked the minister to explain the reason behind the government’s failure in nabbing the culprits of sacrilege and Bargari incidents, SAD workers and policemen thrashed him mercilessly. He was later illegally detained, he alleged. When contacted, Cheema denied the allegations, saying that his rivals were trying to disrupt his campaign. Cheema alleged that a youth planted by his rivals at Lodhimajra started misbehaving during a public meeting following which others present on the occasion made him to leave the venue.