While directing the district administration to ensure the best possible medical treatment for the victims of the April 13 Phagwara clashes, Punjab Chief Minister, Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday gave in-principle approval for renaming the city’s Gol Chowk as Samvidhan (Constitution) Chowk.The chief minister, who met a delegation of Dalit Samaj, including the families of the victims of the violence, was apprised that the Phagwara Muncipal Corporation had already moved a resolution for renaming the chowk. “There is nothing wrong in naming the roundabout as Samvidhan Chowk, as our Constitution does not belong to any particular caste or creed and we all Indians are proud of it”, he said while directing the local administration to follow proper procedure for renaming the chowk.Responding to the request of the family members of Yashwant Bobby, who sustained serious bullet injuries, the Chief Minister said that it was the duty of his government to ensure best possible treatment for him. He directed the district administration to seek a second opinion on his condition from doctors at PGI and then shift him, if needed, to the best hospital in Delhi or Chandigarh. He assured Bobby’s family members that the government would bear the entire expenditure of his treatment.
The Chief Minister also directed the DGP, Suresh Arora, to assess if stringent provisions of SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act can be invoked against the perpetrators of April 13 violence. When some delegation members pointed at the “biased” role of certain police personnel during the violence, Captain Amarinder Singh directed the DGP to inquire into the same and take necessary action.Appreciating the restraint shown by the dalit community, the chief minister said harmony and brotherhood amongst people of different castes and religions was the basis of our social fabric and it needed to be further strengthened. On their demand of cancellation of FIRs registered by police against Dalit youths, Captain Amarinder Singh directed the IGP, Jalandhar Range, to examine all such cases and submit a report to the DGP.During the meeting, Chief Minister was also apprised by the DGP of the prevailing law and order situation in the city. He said more than 3500 policemen have been deployed in and around Phagwara to prevent any untoward incident.The affected families, under the banner of Dalit Brotherhood Action Committee, also submitted a memorandum of their demands to the Chief Minister and assured of their continued support in restoring normalcy and calmness in Phagwara.Prominent amongst others who were present during the meeting included Member Parliament Jalandhar Chaudhary Santokh Singh, Media Advisor to CM Raveen Thukral, Chief Principal Secretary to CM, Suresh Kumar, Principal Secretary to CM Tejvir Singh, MLA Hoshiarpur Raj Kumar Chhabewal, former minister Joginder Singh Mann,DGP Intelligence Dinkar Gupta, DC Kapurthala Mohammad Tayyab, and SSP Phagwara Sandeep Kumar Sharma.