Gol Chowk will be renamed Samvidhan Chowk, govt job for deceased's brother: Cong MLA

Congress MLA Raj Kumar Verka today said Gol Chowk in Phagwara will be renamed Samvidhan Chowk and government job will be provided to the younger brother of Yaswant Bobby, the 19-year-old Dalit who died of a gunshot wound he received during a clash here on April 13.

Addressing a programme organised here in memory of Bobby, the legislator said if the civic body creates any hurdle in renaming the chowk, a demand raised by the Dalits, the state government will use its powers and implement the chief minister's in-principle approval about renaming the Chowk.

The clash had taken place when members of a group led by Dalit workers allegedly installed a board carrying a picture of Dalit icon B R Ambedkar at Gol Chowk on the National Highway-1. They also tried to rename it Samvidhan Chowk.

However, members of another group objected to it and that led to a clash between both the groups. Four people were injured in the incident.

On April 24, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh gave in-principle approval for renaming Gol Chowk as Samvidhan (Constitution) Chowk.

Claiming that the local civic body had already made a move for renaming Gol Chowk as Samvidhan Chowk, Verka today said that the resolution continued to be valid and government will accept it.

On Mayor Arun Khosla asserting that that no such resolution was passed by the corporation and that powers to rename the intersection vested with the civic body and not the chief minister, the Congress MLA said the Punjab government will use its powers to rename the intersection if the corporation creates any hurdle.

At the programme organised in memory of the deceased, Verka conveyed the condolence message of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and state Congress president Sunil Jhakhar to the bereaved family.

Former Union minister Santosh Chaudhary, Ex-Punjab minister Joginder Singh Mann, state BSP chief Rashpal Singh Raju, SAD MLA Pawan Tinu, were among those who spoke at the condolence programme.