Several opposition leaders were detained on Sunday as BJP, Congress, SAD, and CPI workers tried to force their way through barricades here to ‘gherao’ the residence of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann during a joint protest to demand the arrest of former minister Laljit Singh Bhullar, who is accused of abetting the suicide of a state warehousing corporation official.
Gagandeep Singh Randhawa, the district manager of Punjab State Warehousing Corporation in Amritsar, allegedly ended his life by consuming poison early Saturday and a video appeared in which he purportedly claimed harassment by Bhullar, who resigned as minister later in the day at the direction of Mann amid the row.
The police on Saturday night booked Bhullar, his father Sukhdev Singh Bhullar, and personal assistant Dilbag Singh under sections 108 (abetment of suicide), 351 (3) (criminal intimidation) and 3 (5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Congress and the BJP had announced that they will jointly ‘gherao’ (lay siege to) CM Mann’s residence to press their demand for the arrest of Bhullar.
Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, Partap Singh Bajwa, Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar, along with SAD leaders Bikram Singh Majithia and Daljit Singh Cheema, were among those who took part in the protest.
A large police contingent was deployed at the MLAs’ Hostel here to prevent the protesters from heading towards the Chief Minister’s residence. Barricades were also erected by the Chandigarh police.
The opposition parties are demanding the arrest of Bhullar and a CBI probe into the circumstances that led to the suicide.
Punjab BJP chief Jakhar said they were seeking justice for Randhawa’s family. Until Bhullar is arrested, the protest will continue, said Jakhar.
Akali leader Majithia told reporters that Bhullar should have been arrested in the matter. Leader of Opposition Bajwa also condemned the AAP government for not immediately arresting Bhullar.