Bajwa backs protesting teachers

Saturday, 08/02/2014

http://epaper.dailypostindia.com/Details.aspx?id=93552&boxid=58306&uid=&dat=2014-02-08

Bathinda : Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Partap Singh Bajwa on Friday condemned the “brutality” shown by the police at the striking teachers at Bathinda that he alleged led to the death of a 14-month-old daughter of a woman protester.

Bajwa also held the SAD-BJP government and district administration responsible for the death of the infant.

The PPCC chief, who was here to preside over the dharna by the party workers for seeking a CBI inquiry into the drug scam, also visited the protesters at the bus stand and expressed solidarity with them. He demanded from the government to accept their demands.

Meanwhile, Bajwa asked Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to order an inquiry into her death and take action against the guilty.

The agitating teachers also announced that the body of the 14-month-old girl would not be cremated till the government accepted their demands of employment and justice for the bereaved family.

Bajwa decried the SAD-BJP government for turning a blind eye to the agony of striking teachers and said that even SAD MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal had not visited the mother of the deceased girl, who was still sitting in the freezing cold under the open sky. While airing his anguish, the PPCC president also questioned the purpose of Nanhi Chhan campaign.

Later, while addressing the Congress workers during a dharna organised by PPCC general secretary Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu and DCC president Gura Singh Tungwali, Bajwa said that all sections of government employees were agitating to get their demands accepted.

He alleged that Punjab Police were working under tremendous political pressure and they were not capable of investigating the drug scam.

Among others, Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, Gurpreet Singh Kangar, Jasbir Singh Dimpa, Harminder Singh Jassi, Mohan Lal Aggarwal, Rajan Garg, Charanji Lal Garg, Sukhraj Singh Natt, K K Aggarwal, Darshan Singh Jida, Narinder Bhaleria and Bhupinder Singh Gora were the prominent who addressed the gathering.

‘All fair in love and war’
In a statement fuelling speculation, Partap Singh Bajwa on Friday said that “all is far in love and war” when asked about the possibilities of ties with the People’s Party of Punjab.

“As the party’s main target is to win elections and whatever is required we will do, so we can’t deny the possibility of an alliance with the PPP,” he added.

Further, the PPCC chief announced that this time the Punjab Congress would contest the Lok Sabha polls with a totally different manifesto. “Though it would released by the high command, solutions to the problems which the people of Punjab face will have specific mention in that,” added Bajwa.

On the announcement of candidates’ names, he said it would be done right after the date of elections.