AAP slams Bittu for ‘hurting’ Dalit sentiments

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, June 17

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today staged a protest in the city against MP Ravneet Singh Bittu and the Congress party for terming some seats in Punjab as “sacred and unholy”, thus allegedly inciting hatred towards the Dalit community. They burnt effigies of Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and MP Bittu during the protest.

Senior leader of the AAP, including Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Harpal Singh Cheema and others, said the AAP strongly condemned the Congress leader’s recent remarks over the Assembly seats in Punjab. Manuke alleged that Congress leaders called “some Assembly seats in Punjab as sacred and some unholy” but for AAP the whole country, including Punjab, is sacred.

Manuke and Jeevan Singh Sangowal, vice-president, SC Wing, began fast to death on the issue of scholarship for Dalit children. The AAP leaders said the Gurus had risen above castes and religions and taught the lessons of ‘Manas Ki Jaat Sabhe Ek Pehchanbo’ and ‘Awal Alla Noor Upaya Kudrat Ke Sab Bande’. “But the opinion of the Congress party leaders is completely contrary to the message given by the Gurus and the path shown,” they added.

Harpal Singh Cheema said that CM Captain Amarinder Singh was now ‘pretending’ to be benevolent of dalits while during his tenure Captain had committed various atrocities on dalits, embezzled student scholarships money and abolished the quota of youth jobs. He said the Congress leaders were showing inferior attitude towards the Dalits and calling assembly seats as sacred and unconsecrated. “If the CM had been serious in the matter, he would have condemned the statement made by Bittu and taken action against him,” said Cheema. He said that it may be recalled that AAP senior leader Manwinder Singh Giaspura has been on a hunger strike against the ‘scam’ perpetrated by the Congress party on scholarships for dalit students.