Jalandhar, September 4, 2020 (Yes Punjab News)
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) activists today held a dharna outside the residence of local MP Santokh Singh amidst pouring rain demanding the MP raise his voice in favour of Dalit students whose scholarship had been looted by SC Welfare minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, besides calling for the end to the protection being given to Dharamsot by chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh.
The SAD workers, who were led by legislators Pawan Kumar Tinu, while chanting slogans of Sadhu Singh Chor hai, asked the Jalandhar MP to explain why he was silent on such an important issue and why he had not come out with any statement in solidarity with SC students. They said the MP should have condemned the loot of SC scholarship funds of Rs 63 crore besides demanding release of Rs 309 crore lying with the State government since ten months.
Speaking on the occasion, SAD legislator Pawan Tinu said Santokh Singh had become an MP on the votes of the Dalit community from a reserved seat but had betrayed the community by remaining a mute spectator to the discrimination meted out to Dalit students. He said besides the loot of their scholarship amount, Dalit students who were due to get their degrees from colleges were also suffering because the institutions were not releasing the same pending receipt of the scholarship.
“Despite this discrimination meted out SC students, Santokh Singh has not uttered one word in their favour. We demand that he take up the case with the chief minister and demand the immediate sacking of Sadhu Singh Dharamsot as well as release of the scholarship money due to students. If he does not do this we will intensify our agitation against him as well other Congress MPs and ministers”.
Mr Tinu said the SAD was constrained to follow the path of protest because the chief minister was shielding Dharamsot. He said instead of sacking the minister and registering a criminal case against him for looting Rs 63 crore as had been revealed following an inquiry by the Additional chief secretary level officer heading the SC Welfare department, the chief minister was trying to discredit the inquiry by asking the chief secretary to probe the matter again. “This is nothing but an attempt to give a clean chit to Dharamsot”.
The SAD leader said Dalit students had been suffering ever since the Congress government came to power in the State. He said there had been a drop of 1.50 lakh in college admissions of Dalit students during Congress tenure. “From strength of 3.30 lakh SC students enrolled in higher educational institutions in the State, the number has decreased to 1.80 lakh students now”, he added.
Others present on the occasion included Kamaljeet Singh Bahtia, Kulwant Singh Manan, Subhash Sondhi, Hansraj rana & Bhajan lal Chopra.
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