The New Indian Express ·
Politics
Punjab: Gulzar Singh’s family accuses AAP government of forced cremation
CHANDIGARH: The controversy surrounding the death of 47-year-old Gulzar Singh took a fresh turn after a video emerged in which his family alleged that the AAP government forced them to cremate his body without their consent. The deceased was a Dalit from Toor Banjara village, Sangrur district.
The family has announced that it will not proceed with further religious rituals, including the Bhog ceremony, until action is taken against those it holds responsible.
Gulzar’s son, Lakhwinder, alleged that the family was not allowed to carry out the cremation according to their wishes and that the last rites were performed amid heavy police presence. He said the family was not allowed to see his father’s face before the cremation and did not receive his clothes or other belongings.
“The government forcibly carried out the last rites, without our consent, under heavy police pressure and presence. They did not even let us see our father’s face...We should get justice,” he said, demanding the arrest of State Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema for the alleged abetment of suicide.
Lakhwinder also alleged that the government had promised the family a job and other assistance but failed to provide them. “They told us they would provide a job...but we received nothing. I was in a state of depression.”
Gulzar had questioned Cheema in a public gathering over the unchecked drug menace that had affected his son. He allegedly died by consuming poison following harassment and pressure from the local leaders and panchayat members to publicly apologise for questioning Cheema. Shortly before his death, he recorded a video naming some individuals.
The allegations have drawn sharp reactions from the opposition, with the Congress, BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal accusing the AAP government of misusing state machinery to suppress the family’s demand for justice.
Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring accused the government of humiliating Gulzar’s family by having his last rites performed against their wishes.
Warring alleged that Cheema was responsible for the circumstances that led Gulzar to take his own life and accused Mann of being responsible for the forcible cremation. He said the incident amounted to “adding insult to a Dalit’s injury” and warned that it would have lasting political and social consequences for the AAP government.
Senior Punjab Congress leader and Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa demanded the immediate arrest and dismissal of Cheema over the allegations.
“The allegations made by Gulzar’s family are extremely disturbing. A family that has lost its loved one is now saying that even his final rites were conducted against their wishes. If the government has nothing to hide, why was such a heavy police presence required and why was the family’s consent allegedly ignored?” he asked.
Bajwa said the Punjab government could not selectively apply the law depending on the political position of the person facing allegations. He cited the case of government official Gagandeep Singh Randhawa, who died by suicide after allegedly naming then Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar. An FIR was registered, Bhullar was arrested, and a chargesheet was subsequently filed.
“If action could be taken against a minister in that case, why is Harpal Cheema being treated differently? Is there a different law for powerful AAP ministers?” Bajwa asked.
He demanded Cheema’s immediate arrest and dismissal from the Punjab Cabinet, an FIR against every person responsible for the alleged forcible cremation, and an independent, time-bound investigation into the entire episode.
Punjab BJP leader Parminder Singh Brar said the family’s allegation that Gulzar’s cremation was forcibly carried out by government machinery raised serious questions about abuse of power and denial of basic dignity. He demanded accountability from Cheema and sought his resignation.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal said Mann was using his self-proclaimed “green pen” for “loot and torture”. He said the latest incident involving a youth consuming poison after allegedly being tortured at Dhuri police station reflected how Punjab had been turned into a “police State”.
Badal said the incident followed cases of alleged torture and suicide in Sheron and Toor Banjara villages involving two persons who were allegedly tortured for showing a black flag to the CM and for questioning Cheema over the rampant sale of drugs in the state. “This is the change AAP has brought into Punjab politics,” he said sarcastically.
Shaming the CM for brandishing a “hara pen” while claiming it would bring a revolution through its use for public good, Badal said, “All this green pen has done is silence the voice of dissent and loot the resources of the state.” He also alleged that Punjab police had tortured a youth, Chamkaur Singh, to such an extent at Dhuri that he consumed a poisonous substance while in police lock-up.
