Officials of Panchayati Raj threaten to intensify stir

Our Correspondent

Mandi Ahmedgarh/Raikot, July 31

Office-bearers and activists of various outfits, fighting for the rights of officials working in the Panchayati Raj Department, have threatened to intensify their stir if serious action was not taken against the Congress leaders, who misbehaved with Mansa ADC(D) Gurmit Singh Sidhu on June 26.

An ultimatum was given during the concluding session of dharnas organised at block-level in Dehlon, Pakhowal, Payal, Malaudh, Sudhar and Raikot on Wednesday.

Activists, led by state president Sukchain Singh and BDPO Raikot Navneet Joshi, alleged that the administration had failed to take action against the Mahila Congress President of Mansa and her accomplice, who had allegedly detained Sidhu in his office for over three hours and torn his shirt. “We will continue to shun work till an FIR is registered against the Congress leaders who misbehaved with Gurmit Singh Sidhu on Friday and arrest their leader,” said Joshi, disclosing that that outfit would also organise dharnas at district-level on Thursday. Office-bearers and activists of the Joint Action Committee would converge at Mansa to organise a state-level demonstration on Friday, he added.

Two factions of the Congress leaders of Mansa district had confronted each other on the issue of organisation of a public function, of which, the faction led by the Mahila Congress president wanted the function to be cancelled. Feeling offended after a successful organisation of the function, the Mahila Congress activists gheraoed the ADC(D), Gurmit Singh Sidhu, in his office and allegedly misbehaved with him.

The case

Two factions of the Congress leaders of Mansa district had confronted each other on the issue of organisation of a public function, of which, the faction led by the Mahila Congress president wanted the function to be cancelled. Feeling offended after a successful organisation of the function, the Mahila Congress activists gheraoed the ADC(D), Gurmit Singh Sidhu, in his office and allegedly misbehaved with him.

We will continue to shun work till an FIR is registered against the Congress leaders who misbehaved with Gurmit Singh Sidhu on Friday.  The outfit will also organise dharnas at district-level on Thursday. Office-bearers and activists of the joint action committee will converge at Mansa to organise a state-level demonstration on Friday. Navneet Joshi, Block Development and Panchayati Officer, Raikot