Sidhu Moosewala factor: Cops try to disperse people at rallies in Jalandhar

Tribune News Service

Deepkamal Kaur

Jalandhar, May 6

Perhaps sensing that the two-day ‘Insaaf yatra’ carried out by slain singer Sidhu Moosewala’s parents in Jalandhar was ‘damaging’ the Aam Aadmi Party’s in the May 10 Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll, the police attempted to disperse the crowds that had assembled to listen to them at their two spots in Rama Mandi and Babrik Chowk.

Minutes before Moosewala’s father Balkaur Singh and mother Charan Kaur were to arrive at Rama Mandi Chowk falling in the Jalandhar Central constituency, a gathering, which mostly comprised youngsters, was asked to leave the site. The youth were standing along the pillars of a flyover and were not disturbing any traffic movement. Police teams arrived in vehicles carrying public address system and made an announcement, asking them all to leave the place. Scared of police action, some of them left the site.

Likewise, the couple was initially not allowed to stop at Babrik Chowk in Jalandhar West by the police on duty. However, after supporters of Moosewala reacted, they were allowed to park their car and deliver their speech.

Moosewala’s parents have been telling Jalandhar voters to vote for any other party, but not the ruling AAP as they allege that owing to the government laxity, they lost their son.

“It is clearly under pressure from the state government that the police tried to disturb their yatra and make it less effective. But people of Jalandhar will not forgive the government and respond to such a suppression on the polling day which is just four days away,” said Jalandhar Cantt MLA Pargat Singh.

The yatra has touched all nine Assembly segments falling in the parliamentary seat. The first stoppage of Balkaur Singh was at Latifpura in Jalandhar Cantonment where he also expressed solidarity with the families, who had lost their shelter after a demolition drive on December 9.

“The governments tend to make mistakes but it must accept its faults and learn from them so that these do not get repeated. But when it does not, we have to fight it out. I will always stand for you whenever you want my help,” he told the families seeking rehabilitation. Children donning T-shirts of Moosewala and carrying placards had welcomed the singer’s parents at the site.

Charan Kaur said, “This government is daily sprinkling salt on our wounds by giving statements politicising our son’s death. At least four-five youths, who had earned much recognition in Punjab, have got killed in the past one year. Having withdrawn the security of our son when he had threat to life, the leaders under this government are themselves enjoying protection covers for themselves.”

Police under govt pressure

Under pressure from the state government, the police tried to disturb their rallies. But people of Jalandhar will not forgive the government. — Pargat Singh, MLA

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#Aam Aadmi Party AAP #sidhu moosewala