Cong leaders decide not to celebrate Dussehra

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 21

The vice-chairman of the National Scheduled Caste Commission and Congress MLA Raj Kumar Verka today announced not to celebrate Dussehra festival in view of the recent incidents of desecration of Guru Granth Sahib in Punjab.

In a conference here today, Verka, said he was perturbed over the repeated incidents of sacrilege of the holy scripture and killing of the two Sikh youths in the police firing in Kotkapura (Faridkot). He said the state government had miserably failed to control the situation. The incident was flayed by the Sikhs across the globe, he added.

Verka said as the Sikh community was in the grief following the unfortunate turn of events, it was not appropriate for him to celebrate the festival. He also condemned the Faridabad incident in which two minor children were charred to death while their mother was also battling for life.

Meanwhile, in a statement here today, the District Congress Committee (rural) president, Gurjit Sing Aujla, announced his decision not celebrate Dussehra festival. He held Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal responsible for this. He said the anti-people policies of the state government and poor law and order conditions had led to such incidents and subsequent vitiating of the atmosphere. Punjab was stung by rampant drug abuse, he added.

Aujla said farmers were facing huge debts and fighting for survival, but no SAD leader stood alongside the farming community. He added that it was an irony that no SAD leader having faith in Guru Granth Sahib had resigned from his post and raised voice against this. Sikh activists were forced to come on roads to seek justice, he added.