Cong comes out in support of students, wants panel
Sunday, 23/11/2014
http://epaper.dailypostindia.com/Details.aspx?id=119365&boxid=58089&uid=&dat=2014-11-23
Chandigarh : Former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal has condemned the police cane charge on the peacefully protesting students of Punjabi University in Patiala and described it as ‘inhuman and brutal’. “While students were protesting peacefully for their demands, the administration deputed the police, which used force to silence the students,” she said.
In a strongly-worded statement issued, here on Saturday, she further said that it was unfortunate that the police used brute force against students, who were justified to raise their demands in a peaceful manner. She expressed concern over the students receiving grievous injuries and stated that the police had not dealt with the situation tactfully, which led to the incident. She demanded immediate cancellation of FIRs registered against 27 students.
Extending the party’s support to the students’ agitation and demanding an apology from the Chief Minister, Bhattal also demanded the state government to take immediate steps to address the students’ demands and restore peace in the campus. She asked for strict action against this ‘shameful’ incident and police authorities must be given a lesson for this ‘unfair’ action against the students.
“During my ‘CMship’ same incident happened and my security asked me to change the route while travelling because of students’ agitation at that time, but I travelled from the same route and sat along with the students, listened to their issues and formed a committee for immediate solution of their problem and issues. So, instead of charging lathis on the future of the nation, CM and Deputy CM should apologise and form a committee, which can deliver the resolution for student issues within a specified time limit,” she added.
