BSP holds protest in Sirsa, demands action on corruption, caste discrimination

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) held a major protest at the Mini- Secretariat in Sirsa on Wednesday, raising several local and state-level concerns. Led by BSP Haryana president Dr Krishan Jamalpur, party workers gathered at Ambedkar Chowk in the morning and marched to the Mini-Secretariat, where they submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner, addressed to the Chief Minister.

One of the main issues raised was the alleged inaction against the current sarpanch of Khari Surera village. According to the BSP, though the sarpanch was caught on video using and selling illegal drugs, yet no action was taken against him. Dr Jamalpur accused the Deputy Commissioner of deliberately shielding him, claiming a larger conspiracy to spread drug abuse in the area.

The BSP also highlighted caste-based discrimination in Kharian village, where a street used by Scheduled Caste residents was reportedly encroached upon. Despite submitting a complaint on March 11, no action was taken to remove encroachment. Instead, the affected family is now facing police pressure and legal threats, allegedly supported by the local authorities to withdraw their complaint.

Further demands of the BSP included immediate relief and compensation for families affected by recent heavy rains, which damaged their homes and crops in both the urban and rural areas. The party also called for reopening of the state’s Labour Department portal, closed for a long time, which blocked access to welfare schemes for workers.

The BSP demanded fair treatment for the Scheduled Caste candidates in the ongoing assistant professor recruitment process and the release of stalled housing assistance for the below poverty line families. The party warned that if these demands were ignored, it would launch protests across Haryana. — OC