Chandigarh, Sep 11 (PTI) Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday assured all help to the family of Gulzar Singh and said they have suffered an unimaginable ordeal at the hands of a “callous and cruel government which has no concern for the people.” Gulzar Singh, who hailed from Dirba in Sangrur, died on Monday after allegedly consuming poison, with his family alleging that he was harassed and subjected to casteist slurs for questioning Finance Minister Harpal Cheema about the supply of drugs in the area during an event the day before.
Gulzar Singh’s son Lakhwinder met Badal at the latter’s residence here.
According to a SAD statement, he disclosed in detail how the Punjab Police, on the directions of the Aam Aadmi Party
(AAP) government, had allegedly forcibly carried out Gulzar’s cremation by using brute force.
Expressing shock at the turn of events, Badal said the disclosures had both pained and angered him.
“The family has suffered an unimaginable ordeal at the hands of a callous and cruel government which has no concern for the people and is only worried about protecting Cheema, who is responsible for the death of Gulzar,” Badal said.
Badal said Punjab Police would eventually have to register an abetment to suicide case against Cheema.
“I have assured Lakhwinder that the SAD will take this case to its logical conclusion and have also assured him of all legal, financial and social assistance to help this family recover from the trauma and humiliation they have endured at the hands of the AAP government,” Badal said.
He said the officers who “inflicted cruelty on the family of the suicide victim would also have to answer for their misdeeds.” “No one has the right to trample on the rights of a grieving family in this manner,” he said.
He said action should be taken against every person guilty of humiliating Gulzar and forcing him to take his life. “This should start from the top and cover all the guilty”, he added.
“SAD’s Sunam leader Winnerjit Singh Goldy briefed the SAD president about the entire case, including how the State finance minister had taken umbrage at being asked about the unchecked sale of ‘chitta’ (drugs) by Gulzar during a public meeting at Toor Banjara village in Dirba.
Instead of providing solace to a father who was battling with his son’s addiction to the synthetic drug which was ruining his family, Cheema used his office to intimidate and humiliate Gulzar, leading him to commit suicide by taking celphos tablets”, Goldy disclosed,” the SAD statement said. PTI SUN APL APL
