Cong leaders show united face, join Navjot Sidhu’s cavalcade in Mohali

Sanjay Bumbroo

Tribune News Service

Mohali, October 7

Showing a united face, Congress leaders joined the cavalcade of Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu when he arrived at the Chhat village light point on the Airport road here today.

Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, Deputy Chief Ministers OP Soni and Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Cabinet Ministers Sangat Singh Gilizian, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Vijay Inder Singla, Pargat Singh, Gurkirat Singh Kotli and former cabinet minister Balbir Singh Sidhu, working president of the Punjab Congress Kuljeet Singh Nagra and a large number of party workers were present at the Chhat light point, from where the march started around 1.30 pm.

Addressing mediapersons at the light point, Navjot Singh Sidhu lashed out at the BJP. He asked whether law was above the minister and his son. He said even after registering an FIR, the minister’s son was roaming freely and the UP police had failed to arrest him. He announced to go on a hunger strike if the accused involved in the murder of innocent farmers on October 3 were not arrested.

Sidhu announced that the protest would continue till the accused were arrested. He would sit on a hunger strike from tomorrow if no action was taken by the UP police against the accused.

“I am ready to sacrifice my life, but I will take this fight to a logical conclusion,” he said.

He said 600 farmers had lost their lives, but the BJP government was not ready to budge. Asked where he would start the hunger strike, Sidhu said wherever the UP government would stop him, he would begin the strike from there only.

Former cabinet minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said: “The BJP has crossed all limits by not arresting Ashish Mishra Teni, son of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Mishra Teni. It was a pre-planned murder”.

In view of the protest march by the Punjab Congress against the Lakhimpur Kheri incident, a huge traffic jam was witnessed in the Zirakpur area today.

Party workers started gathering at the Chhat light point on the Airport Road around 10 am. Sidhu’s cavalcade reached the light point around 12.30 pm leading to traffic jam on the roads in Zirakpur.

A huge traffic jam was witnessed from the Chhat light point to Banur, Zirakpur-Panchkula road and Chandigarh-Ambala national highway. Commuters faced a lot of harassment as they had to wait for hours for the traffic to clear. The motorists could cross these roads after waiting for hours.

SSP Navtej Singh Mahal, SP (Rural) Ravtej Kaur Grewal, DSP Mohali Gurpreet Singh Bain could be seen controlling the traffic, but the situation turned worse as thousands of vehicles got stuck in the traffic jam. Traffic police had to divert the traffic from other roads so that commuters do not have to face any harassment. Smooth flow of traffic could be ensured after 2 pm.

Navjot Sidhu lashes out at BJP

Lashing out at the BJP, Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu asked if law was above the minister and his son. He said even after registering a case, the minister’s son was roaming freely and the UP police did not arrest him. He announced to go on a hunger strike if the accused involved in the murder of innocent farmers on October 3 were not arrested.