Ludhiana, November 13: The Scheduled Caste (SC) Wing of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) staged a protest against the ‘Jawani Sambhal Yatra’ being led by Jalandhar MP and former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi at Fawwara Chowk, Ludhiana, on Friday. The protesters waved black flags in response to the alleged assault and use of casteist remarks by Congress leader Barinder Dhillon against his own party's Dalit leader Ranjit Singh Tarkhan Majra at Congress Bhawan, Chandigarh, recently.
The protesters raised slogans against the Congress party and its leaders, demanding protection of the dignity of the Dalit community and their constitutional rights.
The protest was led by AAP Ludhiana Urban SC Wing District President Kapil Sidhu and Rural District President Gurpreet Gopi. They termed the controversy involving leaders of a party as old as the Congress serious and concerning.
They said that when the leadership of the Congress party, which is around 140 years old, is in the hands of Mallikarjun Kharge, who belongs to the Dalit community, allegations of a party leader allegedly mistreating a Dalit youth raise serious questions. They said that instead of taking out the ‘Jawani Sambhal Yatra’, Charanjit Singh Channi should first focus on restoring the dignity and respect of Dalit leaders.
Kapil Sidhu said that nearly eight decades have passed since India attained independence, yet there is still a need for a change in the mindset of certain influential and wealthy sections of society regarding equality. He said that Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution, ensured equal rights for every citizen. Humiliating anyone on the basis of caste or social background goes against constitutional values.
He further said that political parties should not restrict themselves to speaking about social equality and Dalit welfare from public platforms but must also ensure that these principles are reflected in the conduct of their leaders. He demanded that the Congress party clarify its position on the Chandigarh incident and ensure an impartial investigation into the matter.
Among those present during the protest were Ludhiana Urban District President and Chairman Jatinder Singh Khangura, District Secretary and Councillor Nidhi Gupta, Parmveer Singh (Prince), Media In-charge Puneet Sahni, Ludhiana Rural President Dr. Tejpal Singh Gill, Chairman Sharanpal Singh Makkar, Gurpreet Singh Gopi, Dalit Development Board Chairman Vicky Ruprai, Amardas, Ludhiana Women Wing President Manisha Kapoor along with her colleagues, Gurbir Singh Jhande, Jora Talwandi, Raj Kumar Aggarwal, Charanjit Lamba and Jatinder Singh Sewak, besides several other party leaders and workers.
The protesters reiterated that there should be no place for casteism or discrimination in society and that the dignity and respect of every individual must be protected.