Sangrur, Punjab: Bajwa and Sampla extend support to protesting dalits
On Wednesday, the prevailing tension – due to auction of 117 acres of panchayat land – in village Baladkalan in Sangrur district got political, when the protest dalits received support from PPCC President Partap Singh Bajwa and BJP MP Vijay Sampla.
Both Bajwa and Sampla extended their support to the protesting dalits of Baladkalan village, during their separate visits to the village on Wednesday. Bajwa, who joined the dalit protestors in dharna, was accompanied by dalit leader and Jalandhar MP Chaudhary Santokh Singh, as well as a few Sangrur leaders including ex-MP Vijay Inder Singla.
The ongoing tension in the village resulted from the June 27 auction of 117 acres of panchayat land. The auction of the land, for approximately Rs 29 lakhs, was held under heavy police cover.
The dalits protested the auction on the grounds that the auctioned price was too high; and demanded that the rate at which land is auctioned should not be more than 10,000 per acre rate.
In protest of the auction, a group of dalits – of Jameen prapti sangrash committee – led by Mukesh Malaud clashed with the police authorities; with the result that 25 people – including 6 women and 11 police personnel – were injured. After the incident, police booked 41 dalits under Section 307 (attempt to murder); and all of them are now in jail.
Source – The India Express
bajwa and sampa support protesting dalits, BJP MP Vijay Sampla, Jalandhar MP Chaudhary Santokh Singh, PPCC, protest dalits
