Sachin Pilot, Raja Warring Detained During Congress Protest Over Dalit Man's Death

Several Congress leaders, including Punjab Congress in-charge Sachin Pilot and state party chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, were detained in Chandigarh on Tuesday while protesting against the Punjab government over the death of Gulzar Singh in Sangrur.

The protestors were demanding accountability and the resignation of Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, whom they have accused of being responsible for the circumstances surrounding Singh's death. Pilot, Warring, Punjab Assembly LoP Partap Singh Bajwa, former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, Gurjeet Singh Aujla and several other Congress leaders and workers took part in the protest.

#WATCH | Chandigarh: Congress leaders, including Sachin Pilot, Raja Warring, Pratap Bajwa, Charanjit Singh Channi, Gurjeet Singh Aujla, and other leaders and workers, hold a protest against the state government over the death of Gulzar Singh in Sangrur.

pic.twitter.com/y4rngxY5Ol The demonstrators marched towards Cheema's residence but were stopped by police barricades. Several Congress workers climbed over the barricades as tensions escalated during the protest. Police subsequently used water cannons to disperse the crowd and detained several leaders and workers.

The protest was organised over the death of Gulzar Singh in Sangrur, with the Congress accusing the Punjab government of failing to act on allegations surrounding the case. Speaking during the protest, Sachin Pilot said the Punjab government had failed in its responsibility to investigate the matter.

“The Finance Minister here is responsible for this, and he has been named by Gulzar Singh,” Pilot said, alleging that the government should have ordered an inquiry and registered an FIR. He further accused the government of putting pressure on Singh and said the administration had become “completely disconnected from the people”.

Pilot also linked the protest to the wider issue of drug abuse in Punjab, saying the Congress was concerned about the spread of drugs and 'chitta' across the state. He said the protest was not about an individual or a political party, but about Punjab's future.

“The Congress party wants to fight for the people of Punjab,” Pilot said, adding that party leaders and workers would continue to raise the issue and demand answers from the government. The Congress has maintained that the matter concerns the entire state and the younger generation of Punjab, and has called for accountability from those in power.

Gulzar Singh, a 53-year-old agricultural labourer from Toor Banzara village in Punjab's Sangrur district, died by suicide after raising concerns over the availability of drugs, particularly 'chitta', in his area. He had reportedly questioned Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema about the issue at a public event.

Singh later made allegations in a video recorded before his death, prompting demands for an inquiry and fuelling a political row in Punjab. The Congress has since accused the state government of failing to act and has demanded accountability.

Vinita Bhat is a Chief Copy Editor at ABP Live English, with experience in TV and digital journalism. She covers geopolitics, international conflicts, global current affairs and Kashmir. For tips and queries, write to vinitab@abpnetwork.com.