Labour union members stage dharna outside MP’s residence in Hoshiarpur

Our Correspondent

Hoshiarpur, July 1

The members of Pendu Mazdoor Union have been protesting for seven days against the Tanda MLA and the district police outside the District Administrative Complex in Hoshiarpur. Staging round-the-clock dharna, they had called to surround the Hoshiarpur Aam Aadmi Party MP Dr Rajkumar’s house today. Strong arrangements were made by the police to stop them, but the protesters reached there and staged a dharna outside the MPs residence for three hours.

On the occasion, the police tried to stop them by using force, due to which there was also a scuffle with the protesters. The labourers and the farmer leaders supporting them demanded that a case be registered under the SC/ST Act against Aam Aadmi Party’s Tanda MLA Jasvir Singh Raja and his supporters for misbehaving with Dalit labourers. They alleged that the MLA and his supporters snatched the mobile phone of a Dalit youth. Besides, they said that three Dalit labourers of Tahli village have been jailed for asking questions to the MLA during a meeting on May 20. They added that senior police officers were not taking any action in the matter. Leaders of Kirti Kisan Union also reached there and extended their support to the protesters.

On the occasion, state press secretary of Gramin Mazdoor Union Punjab Kashmir Singh Ghugshor said the senior police officers had become supporters of the MLA. Three Dalit workers had been jailed without any reason since May 20. He said the police administration should stop flattering the MLA, immediately release the Dalit workers imprisoned in jail and take action by registering a case against the MLA and his supporters. Ghugshor said SP Manoj Kumar had reached there and promised that three imprisoned Dalit workers would be released by tomorrow and the rest of the demands would also be accepted.

Ghugshor and the president of Land Struggle Committee Mukesh Malud announced the end the siege of the MP’s house and postponing the dharna at the DAC. They said if the police does not follow through on the promise made this time, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann will be opposed in the Jalandhar byelection and Tanda area will be turned into an arena struggle.

Balwinder Kaur, the leader of Istri Jagriti Manch, had to be taken to the civil hospital after she got unconscious due to the forceful measures used by the police to stop them. Rural labourer leader Kiranpreet Kaur and even women carrying young children also suffered minor injuries. The police also dragged the state press secretary of the union, Kashmir Singh Ghugshor.

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