AAP to gherao CM’s residence today
Monday, 16/05/2016
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/aap-to-gherao-cm-s-residence-today/237380.html
Badal cancels engagements, says will welcome them; Punjab, UT police on alert
Chandigarh : The Aam Aadmi Party has decided to stick to its plan to gherao Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s residence here tomorrow despite a warning by the police.
Badal, meanwhile, has announced that he will be waiting for AAP leaders at his home. Chief Minister’s Adviser on National Affairs Harcharan Bains said the CM had cancelled all his programmes for tomorrow even as AAP had not sent any formal information on the matter.
“He will be available at his residence to receive any responsible political leader or representative for a discussion on issues concerning the people of the state,” he said.
The Punjab and Chandigarh police have made arrangements to prevent any law and order problem as AAP has claimed to bring over one lakh activists from all over the state to participate in the protest.
The Punjab police have already set up nakas at the entry points to the state capital. The UT police have imposed Section 144 of the CrPc prohibiting any unlawful assembly of five or more persons.
Addressing a press conference here, Sanjay Singh, AAP state affairs incharge, and Sucha Singh Chhotepur, state convener, claimed one lakh AAP volunteers would reach the CM’s house tomorrow by 11 am.
AAP is protesting the alleged foodgrain scam worth Rs12,000 crore allegedly committed by the Badal government. The government has already clarified through newspaper advertisements that there is no such scam and it was just a mismatch of the accounts.
The leaders alleged that the police were suppressing their democratic right to protest. They claimed the police were threatening their volunteers to prevent them for participating in the protest.
Sanjay Singh alleged the RBI had unearthed the biggest food scam of the country accusing the Badal government of either siphoning off Rs12,000 crore or foodgrain worth the same amount from the state godowns.
"Badal is using coercive means to ensure AAP's protest demonstration outside his official residence fizzles out," he alleged.
