The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) on Saturday urged Haryana Governor Jagannath Pahadia to dismiss Minister of State for Home Gopal Kanda and see to it that the “cases registered against citizens of Sirsa were withdrawn and those who were arrested released.''
An INLD delegation led by former Chief Minister and party supremo Om Parkash Chautala met the Governor at the Raj Bhawan here and submitted a Memorandum to him along with a CD to substantiate the charges.
The INLD leaders demanded that criminal cases be registered against the Minister, his brother Govind Kanda and others for allegedly ordering firing on unarmed people.
The memorandum said the party's bandh on April 3, during the visit of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda to Sirsa, was to focus on shortage of power, deteriorating law and order situation and rise in prices.
It further pointed out that when the Bandh began it was completely peaceful. “It is unfortunate that the Minister resorted to abusive language and violent behaviour against the peaceful party workers.''
Mr. Chautala said the CD was presented to the Governor to bring out the chain of events on that day. It clearly showed the Minister, assisted by a posse of security personnel, manhandling and physically dragging a common man down the steps of a shop, he claimed.
The CD showed the Minister and his brother “directing the security forces to teach a lesson to the citizens of the town'' and open fire upon them.
Mr. Chautala said that this was highly disturbing especially when the State Government had deputed about a dozen Duty Magistrates in view of the bandh call. However, he alleged that the State Government was ignoring this “evidence'' and had filed “fabricated cases'' and arrested people.
