AAP seeks justice for Maur blast victims, stages walkout

CHANDIGARH : Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislators staged a walkout from the state assembly on Friday over demand for justice to the victims of Maur bomb blast that took place on January 31, 2017.

During the Zero Hour, Maur MLA Jagdev Singh Kamalu raked up the ‘failure’ of the state government to nab the culprits and give compensation to the victim families even after two years.

“We want a discussion on Maur blast and a statement from the state government,” he said. Seven persons, including five children, were killed in the blast in Maur Mandi.

When Vidhan Sabha speaker Rana KP Singh refused a discussion, Kamalu and other AAP MLAS went to the well of the House, raising slogans, and then staged a walkout. Though there has been little coordination between the AAP MLAS and the dissident camp of five legislators so far, members of both the camps walked out together on the issue.

Kamalu later said the state government had not only failed to complete the investigation, it has also left the victims to fend for themselves. Cheema also demanded that the government should immediately arrest those behind the blast and grant compensation of ₹2 crore each to the next of kin of those killed and ₹10 lakh to the injured.

The blast took place around 8:30 pm on the said day, soon after a poll rally of Congress MLA Harminder Singh Jassi whose daughter is married to Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim’s son Jasmeet Singh.