AAP minister joins candlelight march in protest over Dalit IPS officer’s suicide

Punjab Horticulture Minister Mohinder Bhagat led a candlelight march in Jalandhar today to protest the tragic suicide of senior IPS officer Y Puran Kumar in Haryana. The protest condemned the failure of BJP government to protect Dalit officers and citizens.

The march began at Shri Ram Chowk and ended at Luv Kush Chowk, drawing participation from senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders and members of civil society. The demonstration was attended by Mayor Vineet Dhir, Deputy Mayor Malkeet Singh, Chairman of Punjab State Cooperative Agriculture Development Bank Pawan Kumar Tinu, District Planning Committee Chairman Amritpal Singh, Chairman of Punjab Agri Export Corporation Mangal Singh Bassi, Vice Chairman of Punjab Small Industry & Export Corporation Dinesh Dhall, and Senior AAP Leader Rajwinder Kaur Thiara.

Minister Bhagat expressed deep anguish over the incident, demanding justice for the deceased officer and his family. He criticised the Haryana Government for its inaction, which he said not only reflected administrative apathy but also exposed an anti-Dalit bias. Drawing comparisons, Bhagat also cited the recent attack attempt on the Chief Justice of India, who is also from the Dalit community, as further evidence of this discrimination.

Accusing both the BJP governments at the Centre and in Haryana of fostering such biases, Bhagat noted that incidents like these have sparked nationwide outrage within Dalit communities. He called for stern legal action against those responsible and urged the registration of a criminal case to ensure justice for the officer.