Chandigarh: Sachin Pilot, the newly appointed AICC in charge for Punjab, will participate in the party’s Sept 15 protest against Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema.The Congress has demanded action against Cheema for his alleged role in the Gulzar Singh suicide case. The protest will mark Pilot’s first visit to Punjab after taking charge as the state Congress in charge.All senior party functionaries are expected to participate in the protest.It will be the first such event in which senior functionaries of the Punjab Congress are expected to appear together. The rival camps led by former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi and Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring have been operating separately, holding separate programmes and political activities.The senior state party representatives were last seen together on June 24, when the Punjab Congress leadership held a news conference demanding the resignation of chief minister Bhagwant Mann over allegations that a report had been fabricated in connection with the viral video case.The Sept 15 protest is expected to provide an opportunity for the party to project a united front before voters and demonstrate a collective fight against the ruling AAP.After the party decided to retain Warring as PPCC chief while announcing several election-related committees, differences within the party came out in the open on July 1.The group of leaders backing Channi, including senior figures such as Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Rana Gurjeet Singh and Bharat Bhushan Ashu, subsequently expressed dissatisfaction with the organisational arrangements and pressed the party high command to address their concerns. They sought Warring’s removal and a greater role for Channi. Several rounds of meetings failed to bridge the gap.Following Pilot’s appointment, functionaries from both camps signalled their willingness to work together. Channi lauded Pilot’s appointment, saying the move built “a new hope” in Punjab.Warring, meanwhile, said that all party functionaries would soon come together on one platform and fight.Randhawa, however, denied that he or any senior Congress functionary demanded a change of PPCC president.Pilot, in a post on social media, said that he and Punjab Congress functionaries would take out a march to the residence of Harpal Singh Cheema, demanding justice for the family of Gulzar Singh, who allegedly died by suicide following pressure and mental harassment, according to the Congress, for questioning the minister over the drug menace in Punjab.In a video before his death, Gulzar allegedly named the minister. The victim’s family also claimed that they were denied dignity and respect while conducting Gulzar’s last rites.“This is a serious matter that demands an independent investigation. The Congress party demands nothing less than the termination of the minister and an immediate, time-bound, independent inquiry into all aspects of the matter,” Warring said.Warring appealed to all Congress workers to join the protest, stand with Gulzar Singh’s family and raise their voice for justice.
