Chandigarh, Sep 10 (PTI) Four senior BJP leaders on Thursday met the family of Gulzar Singh, a daily wager whose alleged suicide has put Punjab’s drug crisis on the spotlight, and pressed for a CBI probe into his death.
The BJP leaders, who were led by BJP’s Punjab unit chief Kewal Singh Dhillon, said that Gulzar Singh’s family has claimed that he was cremated “forcibly”.
Earlier the BJP claimed that on the way to meeting the family in Turbanjara village in Sangrur district, a group of AAP workers “attacked” Dhillon’s vehicle.
The AAP workers who were carrying banners surrounded Dhillon’s vehicle and raised slogans against the BJP, asking it “not to do politics over the dead”.
BJP leaders Sunil Jakhar and Ashwani Sharma asked policemen to clear the road, questioning the police over the law and order situation.
“If anything happens to me, I will hold you accountable,” Jakhar could be heard asking a policeman. Workers of both the parties raised slogans against each other.
Gulzar Singh, a 47-year-old from Dirba in Sangrur district, died on Monday night after allegedly consuming poison, with his family claiming he was harassed and subjected to casteist slurs for questioning state Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema about the supply of drugs in the area during an event on Sunday.
Dhillon, Jakhar, Sharma and party leader Manpreet Singh Badal met the family members of Gulzar Singh and expressed grief over the death.
Speaking to reporters, Dhillon said the family has claimed that the cremation was done “forcibly”.
Expressing anguish over the suicide matter, Dhillon said Gulzar had just demanded that the drug supply should be stopped in his village. He had even stated that his son was a drug addict.
But he was threatened to such an extent that he consumed poison, Dhillon said, adding that everybody has a right to raise voice in democracy.
The AAP leaders used to say that people can ask questions. “Now I want to ask if Gulzar Singh asked a question then what sin he committed, Dhillon said.
W”e have demanded a CBI inquiry into the matter”, said the Punjab BJP chief as he targeted the AAP government over the drug menace.
He said that his vehicle was stopped by the AAP workers, adding that with great difficulty, he managed to came out of the crowd. Police was standing as “mute spectator”, he alleged.
“This is a dictatorship,” he said when asked that they were prevented from meeting the family.
He alleged that since the government could not stop drug supply in the state, they have now resorted to suppressing the voice of people.
BJP leader Manpreet Badal said that his party will do whatever it takes to ensure justice for the family.
A purported video of Singh’s last moments shows him asking Cheema about the availability of drugs in his area. He said the sarpanch would be responsible for his death and admitted that his son also took drugs.
As his emotive video went viral, opposition parties cornered the Bhagwant Mann-led government and demanded a probe and Cheema’s resignation.
Based on a complaint by Singh’s family, five people were booked under Section 108 (abetment of suicide) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and under relevant sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. PTI CHS SKY SKY
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.