Amritsar, Punjab: Dal Khalsa today came down heavily on Punjab government for crackdown on members of Committee for the release of political prisoners for lending support to the cause of Bapu Surat Singh, who is on fast unto death since Jan 16 seeking the release of prisoners who have completed their prison term.
In a hard hitting statement, party head H S Dhami lambasted the Akali led government for arresting Surat Singh and force-feeding him. “The state has violated and crushed his right to protest”. Taking a jibe at police version, he said how come a person of 83 year old who is on hunger strike from last 42 days and held captive illegally at civil hospital, Ludhiana since Feb 8 becomes threat to peace”.
He took strong notice of police terrorizing relatives of Surat Singh and repeatedly raiding the houses of Kanwar Pal Singh and Harpal Sngh Cheema causing harassment to their families. “The motive of the police was to suppress the peaceful campaign aimed for release of prisoners with iron fist”.
Referring to the press conference of the DGP on prisoners issues, he said the Punjab was still a police state where writ of police runs unabatedly. “The manner in which police chief spell-out government’s policies and positions on political issues leave no one in doubt that ‘Home Minister has assigned all his powers and role to the DGP’.
He said the DGP’s version on status of prisoners and Bapu Surat Singh’s hunger strike was misleading. He said there’s deliberate attempt by the police to create confusion on list and status of prisoners”. To drive his point home, he said the Panthic delegation that met Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal at his residence on Feb 16 held detailed discussion on all the aspects related to release of prisoners and apprised him about the objective and cause for which Surat Singh was observing the fast”. “Ironically, once again the state has attempted to find police solution to the political problem by labelling it as law and order problem”.
He said the DGP’s allegations that Bapu Surat Singh was taking Bournvita and Desi Ghee during hunger strike was baseless and untrue as Bapu’s US based daughter who is taking care of her father from day one has strongly detested police so-called claims.