FARIDKOT SAD LEADERS ‘GO INTO HIDING’
Sunday, 18/10/2015
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FARIDKOT: With protests over sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib continuing to rock the state, Akali leaders in Faridkot seem to have gone into hiding.
While Congress and Aam Aadmi Party leaders were seen expressing solidarity with protesters, Akali leaders were conspicuous by their absence.
Notably, Punjab Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa, AICC general secretary Shakeel Ahmad and former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh have met protesters and even visited the families of the two victims of police firing. Similarly, AAP leader and Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann, party’s state convener Succha Singh Chottepur and many other leaders have been actively supporting the protesters.
“So far, we have not seen any local Akali leader visiting the family of Krishan Bhagwan Singh, who was killed in police firing. They are afraid of public anger. Earlier, the people had high hopes from the SAD government as chief minister Parkash Singh Badal claims to be a ‘panthic’ leader. But the government response to the current situation has shattered all our hopes,” said Jaspal Singh, a resident of Niamiwala village.
Even the Akali leaders have failed to attend the funeral of the two firing victims.
“A senior Akali leader from Jaitu, who is very close to the deputy chief minister allegedly tried to help police to take the dead bodies for autopsy. The people from Sarawan village, however, stopped police vehicles by blocking the road with their motorcycles,” said Makhan Singh of Sarawan village.
