Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) has accused the SAD-BJP government for mounting atrocities on dalits and shielding the culprits. Yet, there was no redressal of their grievances. In a statement here today AAP convener Gurpreet Singh Waraich took serious note of the arrest of 25 Akali Dal leaders from Fazilika jail where they were holding secret meeting with liquor barron shiv Lal Dodam a SAD leader who is facing trial for the cold blooded murder of dalit youth Bhim Tank. The goons of Doda had chopped off limbs of Bhim at his farm house. He said that Fazilka jail incident was an eye opener of SAD patronage of culprits.He said that Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal who was considered close to Doda had tried to protect him in the Bhim Tank murder case and case a case of murder was registered only after dalit community members protested on streets. Waraich said that SAD had promoted the anti-dalit sentiment in Punjab during its ten year rule. The Dalits in Punjab lived on margin all that years even as fate of farmers is not different, he said.
He said that Doda case was not an isolated one as a dalit man was hacked to death last Tuesday by a liquor contractor in village Jakharwala in Jaitu sub-division. The police failed to arrest the culprits until villagers blocked roads in protest. A 72 year old dalit woman Gurdev Kaur was killed in Jhaloor village in Lehragaga police station recently during a clash over piece of Panchayat land that was reserved for dalits. The Police has not arrested the culprits and members of action committee are continuing their protest, said Waraich.In Mansa the dalit daily wagers were beaten up by the goons at the behest of SAD MP Balwinder Singh Bhundar. Later police tortured them in the police station. The victims were working as labourers in forest department had gone to see Bhundar for their dues of salary not paid for months.Waraich said that Punjab Scheduled Caste Commission was flooded with complaints of atrocities against dalits. In the year 2015, the commission had registered 7709 complaints of atrocities.He said that all complaints of victimisation of dalits were not registered. He said that if SAD is creating terror for dalits in Punjab, the BJP is doing same in Gujarat where four dalit youth were beaten up and dragged on road half naked in Gir Somnath district, a video of which went viral on social media.