Thousands of women of the Istri Akali Dal led by Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal today marched to the residence of chief minister Bhagwant Mann to demand his immediate resignation as well as registration of a criminal case against his wife.The police put up heavily fortified barricades to stop the Istri Akali Dal members led by the Bathinda MP, MLA Ganieve Kaur and the women wing president Biba Hargobind Kaur from marching towards the chief minister’s residence following which they staged a sit-in on the road and courted arrest. The women continued to hold a spirited protest even after the senior leaders were detained and raised slogans – ‘Guru Dokhi Bhagwant Mann Murdabad’ and ‘Jija- Saali di Jodi – 5 karori”.Addressing the women, Mrs Harsimrat Badal said the chief minister’s office had become a den of corruption where crores were being sought by the latter’s wife to let off a predator against whom two women had filed rape and kidnapping charges.  She said recent audio and visual evidence had revealed how Gurpreet Kaur Mann’s brother-in-law had sealed a deal with a colleague of the accused rapist and media influencer Guri Chahal for Rs five crore. “Everyone has seen how Gurpreet Mann’s relative Amardeep Grewal negotiated with the predator’s colleague while sitting in a restaurant with the CM’s wife and even shared a picture of the latter to establish his credentials”.

Asserting that the Aam Aadmi Party government did not believe in the ‘satkar’ of the ‘maawan-dheeyan’ of Punjab but instead had become a party to protecting a ‘balatkaari’, Mrs Badal said “the culprit was also promised transfer from the Amritsar jail to Patiala jail and even assured he would be referred to a hospital where he would be supplied drugs freely. We have also seen how following the sealing of the deal with the chief minister’s wife the accused was let off within two months and was also allowed to flee to the United States”.Brandishing a packet of ‘celphos’ tablets, the Bathinda MP asked Mann to clarify his stand that he would rather consume the poison than let even Rs one rupee in corruption touch him or his family members.Asserting that the SAD would launch a mass movement across the State until Gurpreet Kaur Mann was not arrested, she also demanded the arrest of all other accused in the case besides the dismissal of the police officers who had filed cancellations reports to favour the rape accused and facilitate his release from jail.Mrs Badal also called for extending protection to the rape victims who had registered complaints against the media influencer besides demanding a CBI probe into the entire incident.

(DailyWorld )