Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Chandigarh: People’s Party of Punjab chief Manpreet Singh Badal today strongly condemned the brutal torture of the students protesters including a 13-year old juvenile and a girl detained in Faridkot jail in the case of attack on a private bus.
“It is just shocking that these students were severely beaten up and tortured not just by the policemen but also by the men belonging to the transport company owned by a person close to Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal whose bus was the target during protest. It seems we are not part of a civil society. the juvenile had to be referred to hospital as he complained of severe pain”, he said.
Manpreet also came down heavily on the state government and the police for framing these students under sections like 307 for attempt to murder. The students owing their allegiance to a leftist student union were only protesting in Faridkot against the death of young Arshdeep who had been pushed out of a speeding Orbit bus near Moga.
He said it was clear that the political leadership in the state was bent upon crushing dissent even by the use of brute force as was evident in this case. What was the worst was that even the juvenile and the girl were beaten up under police custody which was not only shocking but also inhuman.
He demanded immediate withdrawal of cases against these students saying it was the democratic right of the people to protest and dissent could not be curbed by the use of force. In this case, the use of force went to the extreme.
He said the people were giving vent to their latent anger against the government which was basking under the glory of victories in the Assembly bye-elections which was no barometer of the popularity of the government.
He also referred to the statements of some youth Akali dal leaders that they would provide protection to the buses of the Badal family and expressed the apprehension that the situation in the state was heading towards anarchy.
