Punjab BJP leaders, led by state unit president Ashwani Sharma, on Friday staged a protest demanding a CBI probe into the death of more than 100 people in the recent hooch tragedy spreading across three districts of Amritsar, Gurdaspur, and Tarn Taran districts, accusing the Congress-led State Government of shielding the illicit liquor mafia.
The police detained nearly 200 protesting BJP leaders and activists, who were demanding a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the deaths and the flourishing illicit liquor mafia under the patronage of the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh. “We are protesting against the government and staging state-level blockades for nearly a fortnight so that the government wakes up from its slumber,” said Sharma.
Holding placards and beating dhol, the protesters were blaming the Congress Government for its failure to probe the multiple deaths because of spurious liquor. “We want that the inquiry should be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation…that’s why we are holding the protest to press the government for a CBI inquiry,” said Sharma.
He added that they wanted to gherao the Chief Minister’s official residence but Chandigarh Police have put up barricades and would not allow them to move further. Senior BJP leaders Vijay Sampla and Tarun Chugh were among those detained after a minor scuffle with the police, and were released later on.