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Chandigarh, January 31: The Punjab Congress Legislature Party chief Mr Chanarnjit Singh Channi said it was the anti-dalit and anti-minority mindset of the Narendra Modi government that had forced a brilliant scholar like Rohith Vemula to take to the extreme step of taking his own life and this attitude was getting repeatedly manifested in the absurd reaction by ministers like Mrs Sushma Swaraj and Mr M Venkahia Naidu to the visit by the Congress to the visits by the Congrss Vice-President Mr Rahul Gandhi to Hyderabad to oppose this politics of hatred. He asserted it was the Congress that has been fighting this politics of discrimination at the ideological level and would not allow such tendencies to proliferate.
Channi visited Dera Sachkhand Ballan today and took the blessings from the Dera head Baba Sant Niranjan Das Ji. Later he addressed a press conference at the congress Bhawan Jalandhar where he was received by battery of senior leaders and congress workers. On his maiden visit he also addressed the congress workers present there.
Addressing the media, Channi pointed out that in Punjab, the state with the highest percentage of dalit population, the policies of the government should be so tuned that these deprived sections get all the opportunity for socio-economic elevation at every level. He made it clear that the Congress after coming to power in 2017 Assembly election would come out with the requisite policies so that the dalits feel themselves to be equal partners in society. Channi also assured to finish the contract system of recruitment in the jobs if voted to power in 2017 elections. He said the contract and outsourcing system of recruitments actually gives away the reservation quota system which is the right of Dalits.
Channi while attacking the SAD BJP Government in Punjab said that in the last nine years the atrocities on the Dalits have increased manifold and this Government is just mute spectator to these incidents. Moga bus tragedy, Abohar case, Channo Bus tragedy, Diyalpur Bus tragedy the list is endless. Channi demanded that Abohar case should be transferred to CBI or the any other state police because Punjab police is still working overnight to protect the accused Shiv Lal Doda. He was the key Halka Incharge of SAD. Channi also demanded that the names of those people should be made public who are shielding the SP Salwinder Singh in the Pathankot Case. Why even the SP is not being suspended till the time this inquiry is pending. Who are the political bosses who are involved in this politico-police nexus.
Mr Channi also referred to the increasing number of suicides by farm workers and called for adequate and timely compensation to such families. He also stressed the need for the formulation of short term and long term policies to check suicides by farmers and farm workers. He demanded that the compensation to the family of the farmer who commits suicide should be increased from 3lacs to 5 lacs and same amount of compensation should be given to farm labourers also.
He strongly opposed the strong-arm tactics being resorted to by the ruling Akali Dal in Khadoor Sahib bye-election and reflected the scare in the party despite the fact that the Congress had decided to boycott it in conti9uing protest against sacrilege of Sri Guru Granth Sahib. He said the ruling party leaders were now pressuring even independent candidates to withdraw candidature and Mr Charanjit Singh Brar, OSD to the Deputy Chief Minister Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal, had admitted the same.
