Pressing for filing of a case against Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal, who co-owns the Orbit bus service, and a strict action against the culprits, the family of Moga bus incident victim on Sunday continued with to stage sit-ins along with the politicians. The family, along with Sangharsh Committee, comprising leaders of various political parties — Punjab Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa, former chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, among others, and social organisations, continued to sit outside the civil hospital while the body of girl was lying in mortuary at Singhawala village.
The local administration has deployed cops in huge numbers outside the hospital in the wake of the protests. Bajwa said that Sukhbir Badal's decision on withdrawal of service of the buses of his Orbit and other companies on the plea of sending the staff on orientation course had vindicated the party stand that these companies had recruited rogue elements who had no respect for the rule of law as they had the political patronage.
The call given by the Congress to gherao Orbit buses in Mohali on May 4 has now become infructuous and hence withdrawn, he said. Bajwa, along with the Indian Youth Congress president Raja Amrinder Singh Warring, Bhattal, MlA Rakesh Pandey, and other party leaders, participated in three-hour long dharna at Moga civil hospital. Bajwa said that Sukhbir had now himself conceded the deficiencies and hence the case for booking him under Section 304-A had been further strengthened. The permits of these buses must be verified as several buses were playing against each permit, he said.
“The buses have been withdrawn only temporarily to save them from the public anger and increasing pressure from every section of society. Now, Union Minister Harsimrat Badal has the proof about the ownership of the bus involved in heinous crime as the owner is none else but her husband…She is also shareholder in the company at one time, and thus, she has no moral right to continue as the Union Minister as she lacked courage to face the bitter reality," said Bajwa.
Bajwa said that it had become clear that the antecedents of the persons having been recruited were never checked and this was in violation of the law. He made it clear that the Congress agitation would continue till the registration of a case under Section 304-A and cancellation of permits of his buses permanently, besides full justice to the poor family of the victim.
Warring, participating in the dharna, reiterated that the whole investigation should be handed over to the CBI as the people of Punjab know that Punjab police is acting like puppets in the hands of Badals. “The deceased’s family is being continuously threatened by the Badals in some way or other and the Punjab police is a part to it. Now, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has taken suo motu notice of the whole matter, justice is expected for the aggrieved family,” he said.
He added that if the family did not get justice, Indian Youth Congress would lay siege over the CM’s residence in Chandigarh and gherao all the offices of orbit transport. Warring also questioned the silence of BJP on this matter. "Don't they have daughtersIJ None of their leaders in the state or at the Centre even gave a statement for the bereaved family…Why BJP is mute spectator to this incident…What's BJP's hidden agenda in thisIJ…This issue was also raised in the Parliament and the whole nation knows about it but the silence of BJP clearly indicates that it is also hand in gloves with the Badals in Punjab," he said.