Malerkotla/ Ropar, Feb 13: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) staged massive demonstrations across Punjab on Thursday to protest against Leader of the Opposition Pratap Singh Bajwa for his remarks regarding Cabinet Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO. The party described the comments as an affront to the Dalit community and the working class, leading to organized agitations in every district of the state.
Protesters gathered in large numbers, carrying placards and raising slogans against the Congress leadership. The party maintains that the language used by the senior Congress leader reflects a feudal mindset that undermines the dignity of those who earn their livelihood through manual labor and traditional trades.
“This is not just an attack on one individual minister; it is an assault on the dignity of the entire Dalit community and the hardworking people of Punjab,” AAP Punjab media in-charge Baltej Pannu mentioned during the protest.
The demonstrations saw participation from various ministers, MLAs, and local residents, with significant turnouts reported in Malerkotla and Ropar. Members of the musical band community and daily wage laborers also joined the agitation, citing that the remarks were particularly insulting to their professions.
Pannu further questioned the silence of the Congress high command regarding the incident. He noted that the failure of national leadership to condemn the statement suggests a systemic issue within the party’s ranks.
“The people of Punjab have always embraced the ideology of equality taught by the Gurus and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, and they will not tolerate such insults,” Pannu directly said.
The party has announced that the protests will continue until a public and unconditional apology is tendered by both Bajwa and the Congress party.
