A delegation of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) met Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria in Chandigarh on Friday and demanded a CBI investigation into alleged paper leak cases in the state. The party also sought a judicial inquiry into the recent police lathi-charge on sanitation workers in Barnala.
The delegation was led by SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal and included senior leaders Bikram Singh Majithia, Balwinder Singh Bhunder and Daljit Singh Cheema. The leaders submitted two separate memorandums to the Governor on the issues.
The Akali leaders alleged that several examination papers had been leaked during the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government's tenure. They claimed that more than 10 such incidents had affected nearly 10 lakh candidates and demanded a CBI probe to identify those responsible and ensure action against them.
The delegation also urged the Governor to order a high-level judicial investigation into what it described as a brutal police assault on sanitation workers in Barnala.
Speaking after the meeting, Badal said the party had requested the Governor to direct the state government to register an attempt-to-murder case and dismiss the DSP and other police personnel allegedly involved in the lathi-charge on sanitation workers, including Scheduled Caste women.
Since the recent pharmacy officers' recruitment examination cheating case came to light, opposition parties have intensified their attack on the Punjab government, alleging multiple paper leaks over the past four-and-a-half years.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, however, has rejected the allegations and maintained that no paper leak has occurred during the AAP government's tenure.
Mann has also accused the BJP, Congress and Akali Dal of trying to defame Punjab by making what he called false allegations regarding paper leaks.
Talking to reporters, Badal alleged that the Chief Minister was misleading the public by denying the incidents. He claimed that several recruitment and examination processes had witnessed irregularities and alleged that the present government had set a record in this regard.
Badal referred to alleged irregularities in the Naib Tehsildar examination, Class XII examinations, Punjab State Teacher Eligibility Test, clerk recruitment process and the recent pharmacy officers' recruitment examination. He said these incidents had raised serious questions about the government's functioning.
Badal further alleged that while many Punjab youths were struggling to secure employment, the state government was providing jobs to candidates from outside Punjab.
Referring to the Barnala incident, the SAD chief alleged that Dalit women sanitation workers were subjected to excessive force during the protest and claimed that some were repeatedly hit on their heads with lathis.
On July 22, police used force against sanitation workers in Barnala after they allegedly threw stones and garbage bags at police personnel during a cleanliness drive conducted by the municipal corporation and district administration.
The sanitation workers had been protesting since July 8. Their demands included regularisation of outsourced employees, restoration of the old pension scheme and a hike in salaries.
Several protesters later alleged that they had suffered injuries during the police action. The incident drew criticism from opposition parties and employee unions. Following the backlash, Punjab Police suspended Barnala DSP Satvir Singh on July 24.
The Punjab government also constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the matter. Badal said the SAD had requested the Governor to ensure that an attempt-to-murder case is registered against the suspended DSP and demanded his dismissal from service.
He further alleged that "goondaraj" was prevailing in the state and accused the police of acting under political pressure.
The SAD leader claimed that action was being taken against people who criticised Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal.
Badal said he had visited Barnala after the incident and met the affected women sanitation workers. He alleged that it was the first time he had witnessed women workers being struck on the head with lathis during a protest.
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