Phoolka leads cycle rally against Harsimrat, riot-hit families protest
Sunday, 15/11/2015
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BATHINDA: Politics over the alleged clean chit given to Congress leader Jagdish Tytler in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots cases by the NDA government heated up on Saturday as the noted Delhi high court lawyer HS Phoolka led a cycle rally from Bargari village in Faridkot to Bathinda demanding Harsimrat Kaur Badal’s resignation as Union minister while members of some riotsaffected families, with ‘tacit’ support of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), staged a protest against Phoolka alleging that he was trying to take political mileage out of the issue. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) cadres participated in the cycle rally and covered about 45-km distance from Bargari.
Phoolka reiterated his demand for Harsimrat’s resignation from the Union ministry as the NDA government had given a clean chit to Tytler in the anti-Sikh riots cases against which a protest petition is pending in a court. SAD’s Bathinda MP, who had promised of ensuring justice for riots victims before parliamentary polls, should resign as minister because she could not fulfil her promise, he said.
Phoolka also targeted the Punjab government for failing to trace the culprits behind the desecration of Guru Granth Sahib and the killing of two persons in police firing at Behbal Kalan in Faridkot.
COUNTER-PROTEST
On the other hand, members of the riots-affected families took out a march from the Teacher’s Home to the Civil Lines area here. President of the 1984 Sikh Katle-Aam Peerat Welfare Society, Surjit Singh, said that Phoolka was trying to derive political benefit for the AAP out of the issue and alleged that it was Phoolka who hasn’t been able to ensure justice for the victims.
Though they denied SAD hand in their protest, they didn’t stop from showering praise on the party.
Surjit said Harsimrat Kaur cannot be asked to resign as the clean chit to Tytler has been given by the Union home ministry and not by the ministry represented by Harsimrat. The families claimed that they didn’t resort to protest at the behest of any political party, but some local SAD leaders and close associates of Harsimrat were seen accompanying them.
Also, a major portion of riots-affected families came all the way from Delhi in the buses owned by the Hazoor Sahib Tourist Bus Service, Delhi, reportedly sponsored by the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) to take part in the protest. The driver of one of the buses Mehar Chand said that buses of his firm are regularly hired by the DSGMC and this time also all the buses sent to Bathinda have been hired by the committee.
Some representatives of the DSGMC too had come in a car with the ‘DSGMC’ written on it in Punjabi, but they managed to escape as scribes were clicking their photographs. President, DSGMC, Manjit Singh GK, couldn’t be contacted despite repeated attempts.
EMBARRASSMENT FOR PROTESTING FAMILIES
The protesting families also had to face embarrassment when members of the Bathinda unit denied taking part in the march alleging that protesters had come here on behalf of the SAD against Phoolka.
One of the protesters Ajaib Singh alleged that they were informed that a meeting of riots-affected families has been scheduled, but they were surprised to know that it was actually a protest against Phoolka.
Rural development and panchayats minister and district SAD president Sikander Singh Maluka couldn’t be contacted for his comments despite attempts.
Phoolka and Harsimrat have been in verbal dual for the past one week after Phoolka demanded her resignation for clean chit to Jagdish Tytler by the NDA government. The Union minister had hit back at Phoolka terming him a “failed” lawyer and accused his juniors of taking fee in riots cases. Phoolka has also announced to file a criminal defamation suit against the minister.
