Will rename ‘Gol Chowk’: Congress leaders to Dalits
Dalit body members call Bobby a martyr
PHAGWARA :Local Congress leaders assured the Dalit community that the state government will ensure to rename the ‘Goal Chowk’ in the town as the ‘Samvidhan Chowk’ during the ‘bhog’ ceremony of Dalit youth Yashwant Bobby at the Amar Palace here on Sunday.
The youth, who had sustained bullet injuries during the clash between Dalits and members of right-wing Hindu organisations over the renaming of the ‘Gol Chowk’ on April 13, died in Ludhiana’s Dayanand Medical College and Hospital on April 29.
During the ceremony, members of various Dalit organisations raised slogans calling deceased Bobby a martyr.
Congress leaders, including Congress’ Punjab SC cell in-charge and Chabbewal MLA Raj Kumar, district Congress chief Joginder Singh Mann, said they will ensure that Dalits’ demand is fulfilled as the youth ‘sacrificed’ his life for the renaming of the chowk.
Other leaders, including Shiromani Akali Dal’s Adampur MLA Pawan Kumar Tinu, BSP Punjab chief Rashpal Raju, BSP leader Mohan Lal Banga, former Union minister Santosh Chaudhary, Lok Insaaf Party leader Jarnail Nangal and some local municipal councillors also supported the demand of the renaming of the ‘Goal Chowk’ as ‘Samvidhan Chowk’.
Though tension gripped the town, Bobby’s ‘bhog’ ceremony passed off peacefully. Besides police force, personnel of the Rapid Action Force, the BSF and anti-riots squads were deployed in the town to maintained law and order.
Jalandhar range inspector general of police (IGP) Naunihal Singh and AIG (intelligence) Harkamalpreet Singh Khakh monitored the law and order situation.
Deputy commissioner Mohammad Tayyab said that the situation remained under control and no untoward incident was reported in the town.
Vehicular road traffic to Phagwara from Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Hoshiarpur, Nakodar was diverted via link roads.
At the start of the ceremony, family members of the youth appealed to all political leaders not to issue any political statement and try to ensure peace and harmony in the town.
Meanwhile, Dalits demanded the arrest of the remaining Hindu right-wing leaders named in the First Information Report (FIR) and cancellation of their names from the case, registered by the police on April 14, a day after the clash, in which around 100 people, including 33 by name, were booked on charges of attempt to murder and hurting religious sentiments besides other sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Arms Act, and National Highways Act.