Treason case sought against Jat leader for calling CM Pakistani

editorial@tribune.com

Sunit Dhawan

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, September 22

Cutting across party lines, leaders owing allegiance to different political organisations have condemned the reported remark of a Jat leader who had allegedly called Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar a Pakistani. The political leaders have also expressed their resentment and concern through the social media.

State INLD president Ashok Arora and Congress leader and former Haryana minister Subhash Batra have demanded that Jat reservation campaign leader Hawa Singh Sangwan should be put behind bars for making an attempt to disrupt social harmony of the state.

The Congress leader asserted that members of the Punjabi community had exhibited the highest level of nationalism despite tough circumstances and bloodshed at the time of the country’s Partition in 1947. They have also contributed a great deal towards the socio-economic progress of the country, he added.

The former minister demanded that leaders like Sangwan should be booked for treason in the larger democratic and secular interest so that it acts as a deterrent for other leaders trying to create a caste/communal divide in the state’s society.

INLD leader Ashok Arora has also lambasted Sangwan’s statement and demanded that the Jat leader be put in jail for his outrageous remarks aimed at damaging the social fabric.

Meanwhile, hundreds of members of the Punjabi community staged a protest demonstration at the local mini-secretariat today against the alleged remark of the Jat leader.

The protesters assembled at the mini-secretariat under the aegis of the Punjabi Swabhiman Sangh and submitted memorandum addressed to the President of India to the local Deputy Commissioner.

Sangh president Hemant Bakshi said Sangwan’s statement terming Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal a Pakistani was unacceptable.