Punjab’s former Minister and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) general secretary Bikram Singh Majithia on Sunday appealed to the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh to rein in “rogue Congress elements in Majitha”, who were allegedly disrespecting the people's verdict and indulging in violence against the Dalits.
Taking strong note of the manner in which alleged supporters of defeated Congress candidate Sukjinder lalli had attacked the family members of Majitha ward no 1 Dalit councillor and daily labourer Manjit Kaur, Majithia said that this had sent across a message that Dalits were not safe from vendetta by Congress workers.
“Congress workers took the law in their own hand and led a murderous attack against the family of Manjit Kaur injuring her son Amritpal and two other relatives Paramjit and Kulwinder. The brutality of the attack can be gauged from the fact that the dalit's house was ransacked and even her small mini carrier was severely damaged,” he said.
Majithia alleged that all municipal councillors in Majitha were being pressurised to resign by Sukjinder lalli who had miserably failed to win the people's mandate by losing in around 180 out of 195 booths in the constituency. “This despite the fact that this is the first time that Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi campaigned in Majitha constituency,” he said.
Majitha added that the councillor had been receiving threats since the last one week and along with other councillors was being pressurised to put in her resignation.
Reminding Capt Amarinder that he was ‘CM for all’, Majithia urged him to ensure justice and to protect the life of the Dalit family which had been attacked and severely injured solely because they belonged to the SAD.
“Besides registration of criminal case against Congress activists responsible for this murderous attack, efforts should be taken to send a strong message to rogue elements that goondaism will not be tolerated,” he added.
The Akali also urged the Chief Minister to rein in defeated Congress Majitha candidate Sukhjinder lalli who was acting like a “frustrated loser and venting his anger against the public”.
“It is a fact that lalli's brother is in-charge of ward number 1 and he could not digest that 72 per cent of the polled votes were in my favour,” he said.