Haryana BJP leaders turn blind eye to Dera violence, INLD compares police action to Jallianwala
Convicted Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim still has many followers in the BJP-led Haryana government who are hell bent to prove their own government wrong.
In Short
- BJP leaders in Haryana Assembly offered obituary to Dera followers who indulged in violence and were killed in police action
- BJP MLA Kulwant Ram Bazigar accused Panchkula police of attacking 'innocents' with bullets
- INLD leaders compared August 25 police action to Jallianwala massacre
The BJP government in Haryana has turned a blind eye towards the violence and death caused by Dera Sacha Sauda followers and their leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim. The followers of Ram Rahim within the BJP government in Haryana are hell bent on proving their own government wrong.
On Monday, BJP leaders in Haryana Assembly had offered an open obituary of the Dera followers killed in police action after the violence that ensued after Baba's conviction. Now, BJP MLA Kulwant Ram Bazigar has accused Panchkula police of attacking 'innocents' with bullets.
The leader was seen justifying the violence by citing the examples of blood and organ donation, and other such social activities done by Dera followers. According to Dera sympathiser Bazigar, the sedition case registered against 13 Dera followers, including Honeypreet, is also wrong as Dera followers are not anti-national.
The BJP leader went ahead and demanded withdrawal of sedition cases against Honeypreet and others besides demanding a compensation for the protesters who were killed in police action. Like Bazigar, Cabinet minister Anil Vij had also demanded monetary compensation for the protesters who lobbed petrol bombs at buildings, vehicles and allegedly fired gunshots on police.
Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had earlier justified the obituary saying that by remembering the departed souls they (government) were respecting a Haryana tradition. But now Khattar said that, the government will not seek compensation for the dead Dera followers as per the directions of Punjab and Haryana High Court. He refused to comment on the statements given by his party MLA and Cabinet colleague Anil Vij on the issue.
"It is the court which will decide whom to compensate or not. The law will take its own course. As per the court directions, the state government cannot endorse the demand to compensate the Dera followers," said Khattar.
Interestingly, it is not just the BJP MLAs alone but the opposition Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), which has changed its perspective towards Dera after the CBI Special Court judgement.In an apparent bid to set the political tone for the 2019 Assembly elections, the party which earlier criticised Gurmeet Ram Rahim for announcing support to BJP, has not only demanded a compensation for dead Dera followers but also compared August 25 police action to Jallianwala massacre.
The BJP government also remembered the Jat protesters who were killed in police action in 2016. Sources say 883 out of a total 1,084 FIRs registered in Rohtak alone were untraced and the state government was in a mood to withdraw the cases against Jat protesters.It is not just the Gurmeet Ram Rahim controversy or the Jat reservation which concerns the Haryana politicians most, but the it is the fat vote bank which these two communities form which will pave the way for power in 2019.