Labour union protests against Tanda MLA over ‘misbehaviour’ with Dalits

Hoshiarpur, June 25

The Punjab Pendu Mazdoor Union today staged a dharna outside the District Administrative Complex demanding the registration of a case against Jasvir Singh Raja, Aam Aadmi Party’s MLA from Tanda, and his supporters under the SC/ST Act for misbehaving with Dalit workers.

They alleged that the MLA and his supporters had snatched the mobile phone of a Dalit youth. Besides, they said three Dalit workers of Tahli village had been lodged in jail for posing questions to the MLA during a meeting on May 20.

They further said senior police officials were not taking any action in the case. Leaders of Kirti Kisan Union, District Bar Association, Democratic Teachers’ Front, Democratic Pensioners Front and Stree Jagriti Manch reached the dharna site and announced that they would extend their support to the protesters. Deputy Commissioner Komal Mittal and SSP Surendra Lamba held separate meetings with the leaders of the organisations, however, these remained inconclusive.

On the occasion, state press secretary of Rural Labour Union, Punjab, Kashmir Singh Ghughshore, announced that the Dharna would continue till the demands were met. He said senior police officials, who were sitting on their chairs and had taken oath of allegiance to the Constitution, had become supporters of the MLA. As a result, three Dalit workers had been put in jail without any reason since May 20.

He said they had not committed any crime by posing questions to the MLA during a meeting, which was related to Lok Sabha elections in Tahli village on May 20. He said the police administration should stop appeasing the MLA, immediately release the Dalit workers lodged in jail and take action by registering a case against the MLA and his supporters.

State leaders of Pendu Mazdoor Union Punjab Hans Raj Pabwan, Gurpreet Singh Cheeda, GS Atwal, District Bar Association president advocate Ranjit Kumar, state leaders of Kirti Kisan Union Santokh Singh Sandhu, Makhan Singh, Gurkanwal Singh, state general secretary of Democratic Teachers’ Front Mukesh Kumar, Balveer Singh Khanpuri of Democratic Pensioners Front, Old Pension Restoration Committee leader Inder Sukhdeep Singh Udhra and state press secretary of Mahila Jagriti Manch Jasveer Kaur Jassi were also present during the gathering.