Immolation bid by freedom fighter’s son near Ludhiana DC office

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, August 20

A man attempted to set himself ablaze by sprinkling fuel during a protest organised by the Lok Insaaf Party (LIP) outside the DC office here today. The man identified as Narinderpal Singh claimed that he belonged to a family of freedom fighters, but the government never offered any job to him or his children.

LIP party workers, along with some unemployed persons, had gathered outside the DC office to mark their protest against the state government’s decision of appointing Congress MLA Rakesh Pandey’s son as naib tehsildar.

When Narinderpal tried to set himself ablaze during the protest, the police and some persons managed to stop him. Cops took him to the police station from where he was later released.

Narinderpal said his father and grandfather were freedom fighters. “My both sons pull a cart along with me. My elder son, who has done ITI, applied for a job multiple times, but he did not get any,” he said.

“Forty years have passed, but no government has heard our voice. The families of freedom fighters are being ignored here,” he added.

Notably, LIP workers have been opposing the appointment of Pandey’s son as naib tehsildar for the past several days.

Randhir Singh Sivia of LIP was leading the protest outside the DC office today. The protesters were raising slogans against the Captain-led state government and the MLA. They had come to submit a memorandum at the district administration office.

“The man, who sprinkled fuel on himself, belongs to the family of freedom fighters. Actually, he had come to mark his protest as he was disappointed with the government for never offering a job to any of his family members. He is not a LIP worker,” said Sivia.

“Before the last Assembly elections, the Congress promised to give jobs to unemployed if it came to power in Punjab. Now, the Captain-led government is offering jobs to sons of MLAs while ignoring a large number of unemployed youths in the state. We are opposing government’s move of giving MLA Rakesh Pandey’s son a government job,” Sivia added.

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