Chandigarh, Sep 5 (IANS) Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Saturday spoke with Mohanjit Singh, the alleged custodial victim of the brutality of the Punjab Police.
Mohanjit Singh alleged that he was tortured while in police custody, including being subjected to electric shocks and being forced to consume drugs.
The allegations have triggered a political storm, with almost all Opposition parties demanding an independent investigation.
Meanwhile, the Congress announced that its workers across the state would show black flags to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann everywhere he goes to express solidarity with Mohanjit Singh. The party’s state President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, who met Mohanjit Singh here, told the media that Rahul Gandhi hailed the courage shown by Mohanjit Singh in standing up for the truth and conveying his message. He has asked the Congress in Punjab to ensure that he gets justice.
The state President said that CM Mann had started “behaving like Ahmad Shah Abdali” and his countdown had started. He said Mann was not the first Chief Minister to be shown a black flag, as several Chief Ministers and even Prime Ministers have been shown black flags in the past. But, he added, nobody reacted the way Mann did.
He said ideally the Chief Minister should have shown grace and dignity and called Mohajit Singh and asked him why he was protesting. But instead, CM Mann unleashed the brute police force on the youth, who was subjected to brutal third-degree torture in police custody and even given electric shocks.
Besides, he added, his eardrum has also been damaged due to brutal manhandling by the police. Rejecting the inquiry ordered by the police into the incident, Warring demanded that the Station House Officer (SHO) concerned and the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) must be dismissed. He said such people do not deserve to be in the police.
Warring also promised that in case the AAP government does not take any action against both policemen, the Congress will initiate action if the party comes to power. Warring said the Congress may meet the Governor to ensure action and justice for Mohanjit.
–IANS
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