Police lathicharge para-athletes in city

Tribune News Service

Mohali, June 24

Some of the special athletes (para-athletes) were injured as the police resorted to baton charge to disperse the protesters, including workers of the Aam Aadmi Party, today.

The para-athletes had gone to Chandigarh to lay siege to the Punjab Chief Minister’s house and return their awards in protest. The protesters started their march from Mohali and when they reached the CM’s house, the police stopped them. The protesters raised slogans against the Punjab Government’s “anti-people” policies. After this, the police resorted to lathi charge to disperse the protesters and arrested some of them. Some of the para-athletes’s legs and arms were injured.

One of the para-athlete, Kuldeep Singh, said he had made the country proud by winning various medal in various national and international sports events. He said the state government had not fixed any quota for the para-athletes while it had given jobs to the sons of the MLAs.

Winner of the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award, Sanjeev Kumar, said he had won more than 20 medals in badminton sports. He said the government officials had assured him several times, but had failed to provide any job.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA and Youth Wing president Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer said during its tenure, the government had given certificates to various sportspersons, but had shunned the amount of honour and the job they deserved. Taking a dig at the Capt government, Meet Hayer asked whether these awards alone would fill their stomachs and their needs. “Why doesn’t the government give jobs to the players? Instead, they are cracking down on the players demanding their rights, which should be condemned,” he added.

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