The New Indian Express ·
Politics
AICC General Secretary Sachin Pilot detained in Punjab protest over Gulzar Singh’s death
CHANDIGARH: AICC General Secretary and Punjab affairs in-charge Sachin Pilot, Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa and other Congress leaders were detained by the Chandigarh police during a protest over the death of daily-wage Dalit labourer Gulzar Singh on Tuesday.
State party chief Amrinder Singh, Raja Warring, former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi and Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa joined Pilot during the protest and marched towards the residence of Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, demanding his resignation for alleged abetment of suicide and his immediate arrest.
The march, led by Pilot, was stopped midway when Chandigarh Police took him, Warring and Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa into preventive custody.
While addressing the gathering, Pilot demanded an independent probe into Gulzar’s death and the inclusion of Cheema’s name in the FIR. Attacking the AAP government over Gulzar’s alleged suicide, he said the drug menace had reached its peak in the state.
“We have no personal enmity with Cheema sahib. But you are sitting in office; you are the finance minister. A man is taking his life and making a video saying that ‘I am taking my own life because of this person’. Does the law not say that there should be an investigation, there should be an FIR?” Pilot asked.
Pilot alleged that the AAP had failed to fulfil its poll promises and had pushed Punjab into the “black darkness of drugs”. “‘Chitta’ (synthetic drugs) is being delivered home. You make a phone call, and it is reaching every home,” he said.
Pilot said it had been more than four years since the AAP came to power, but more young people were becoming victims of drugs. Referring to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, he said, “Rahul Gandhi has told all of us that we have to struggle with the people of Punjab as their voice. I want to tell all Congress workers that all the leaders present here are present to serve you. I will leave no stone unturned for the dignity, respect and honour of the Congress workers.”
Speaking to the media later, Pilot said the Congress was fighting for the people of Punjab and that its leaders and workers were committed to a better future for the state together.
Several Congress workers, including senior leader Kuljit Nagra, were injured in the heavy use of water cannons.
Congress leaders assured Pilot of their support and cooperation to ensure the party’s victory in the 2027 Assembly elections. They said their priority was to win the elections and that the leadership issue would be decided later by the high command.
Bajwa said Gulzar had directly questioned Cheema about the easy availability of synthetic drugs, despite the Punjab government’s repeated claims of waging a war against drugs. Gulzar was subsequently allegedly humiliated and made to apologise. He later consumed poison and died. “The government cannot silence questions by intimidating those who raise them. Punjab needs justice, not propaganda,” he said.
“The real test is not how many press conferences the government holds. The real test is whether chitta has disappeared from Punjab’s villages and whether the drug supply chain and its kingpins have been dismantled,” Bajwa added.
Bajwa also said the Punjab Congress was united and focused on defeating the AAP government in the 2027 Assembly elections. “All Congress leaders are united. Our priority is to work collectively and ensure that the Congress secures a clear majority in the 2027 Assembly elections. Once the people give Congress that mandate, the question of who will be the chief minister will be decided by the Congress high command. We are not going to allow individual ambitions to come in the way of the larger fight for Punjab,” he said.
Gulzar, who hailed from Dirba in Sangrur district, died on September 7 after allegedly consuming poison. His family has alleged that he was harassed and subjected to casteist slurs for questioning Cheema about the supply of drugs in his area at an event in Dirba the previous day.
A purported video of Gulzar’s last moments surfaced in which he spoke about questioning Cheema. This prompted opposition parties to demand the resignations of Cheema along with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
