Villagers resent curbs for Punjab CM’s event at Khatkar Kalan

Aparna Banerji

Jalandhar, April 7

The event of AAP workers at Khatkar Kalan today against the arrest of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal drew criticism after the movement of villagers were allegedly restricted and they were unable to visit their fields.

The event was held at Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh Museum at Khatkar Kalan. A Nawanshahr RTI activist also lodged a complaint to the Election Commission for the poll code violation for holding the event at a government building.

Khatkar Kalan village is the ancestral village of Bhagat Singh. AAP leaders’ hunger strike began amid a gathering of 450 to 500 people at the venue where Mann had taken oath as the CM two years back.

Gurnek Singh Dosanjh, resident of Khatkar Kalan whose fields had also been acquired for the museum by the previous government, said, “Bhagat Singh is venerated at Khatkar Kalan and the CM is welcome for his events. I happily gave my land for the site. But the villagers are almost held captive for such ceremonies. Policemen deployed there stopped me from watering my fields adjoining the museum.

Devotees going to attend jathera event at the village were also a harried lot. Women from Chahal Kalan near Apra had to return disappointed after the police stopped them from entering the village. The road near the Bhagat Singh statue is the key village approach road, which was blocked.

Shabdeep Singh Sandhu, another Khatkar Kalan villager, said, “My home is near the ancestral home of Bhagat Singh. In the wee hours, I went to my fields nearby but on return, in the afternoon, I was stopped entering the village by the police.”