Dalit case: CLP leader demands arrest of Akali leader

CLP leader Charanjit Singh Channi today demanded lodging of a criminal case and arrest of liquor baron and Akali leader Shiv Lal Doda for his alleged connection with the murder of a Dalit man here, and threatened a stir if Punjab government failed to take any action.
The Congress Legislature Party leader served a four-day ultimatum to the Parkash Singh Badal government to arrest and register a criminal case against Shiv Lal Doda and his nephew Amit Doda.
27-year-old Bhim Sain was brutally murdered by suspected henchmen of the liquor baron by chopping his limbs off, hile his associate was grievously injured.

Channi today visited the home of the victim here. The Centre had yesterday announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the Sain's family.
The CLP leader claimed that in case the government fails to act within in the given time limit, all the safai karamchaaris of Punjab will stop their work in the state.
This will be a state-wide strike and no safai karamchaari in the state will perform his duty, he said.

Channi also appealed to all the like-minded political parties of the state to come on a common platform to address this issue of the Dalit family.

During the visit, he was accompanied by Sunil Jakhar, Senior Congress leader and MLA Abohar, and assured all legal help.
Such help would be provided to every Dalit family who are victims of such atrocities, he said.
"I myself was born in a poor family and fully understand your pain. I will fight till the last to get you justice", Channi told the family.
He also said that a 3-member committee of MLAs would be constituted in consultation with state party chief Capt Amarinder Singh to probe and help the cases of atrocities against Dalits in the state.
He termed the SIT constituted by the state government to probe the heinous crime of chopping of limbs of Bhim and his associate as an "eyewash", saying going by the earlier experience, such probes had "only been ordered to save the culprits".

Channi attacked Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal for allegedly "protecting" the accused who are part of the Akali Dal.
He warned that the Akali Dal-BJP rulers would have to "pay dearly" for allegedly working such atrocities against the weaker sections.
He assured them that the Congress would fight at every level against the Akali Dal-BJP combine to protect the interests of the Dalits in particular and the weaker sections in general.
Channi further alleged that the brutal murder of Bhim Sain was an example of the "brutal face" of the Badal government that is "anti-poor" and "anti-Dalit".