CM participates in ‘Vibhajan Vibishika’ event of Punjabi Mahasabha in Haridwar
Garhwal Post Bureau
Haridwar, 14 Aug: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami today launched a sharp attack on the Congress over the ‘purification’ controversy after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s rally in Haldwani. The CM accused the Congress party of playing the victim card for political gains and alleging that its attempt to play the Dalit card had been exposed before the people of Uttarakhand and the country.
Dhami was addressing a ‘Vibhajan Vibhishika’ event (Partition Horrors Remembrance Day programme) organised by the Uttaranchal Punjabi Mahasabha at Prem Nagar Ashram here today.
The CM and the other guests were welcomed by the organisers by presenting them with typical Punjabi turbans. The gathering paid homage to Indians who lost their lives during the Partition and remembered the immense suffering caused by the division of the country. Hundreds of people greeted the CM before he reached the venue, while patriotic and cultural programmes were also presented.
During the programme, Dhami visited the refugee exhibition and blood donation camp and honoured elderly people who had witnessed the trauma of Partition.
Launching his attack on the Congress during his speech later Dhami said Congress is playing the victim card for the sake of power and claimed that its propaganda would not last for long. Referring to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, he said Kharge is a highly respected leader of the country and nobody in Uttarakhand can even think of insulting him.
Dhami, however, alleged that the Congress has hurt religious sentiments through its protest in Haldwani and that the incident reflects its “disgusting mentality”. He said the attempt made by the Congress to play the Dalit card is being seen and understood by the people of Uttarakhand as well as the country.
The CM further said the entire country knew what the Congress has done with its own senior leaders from the Dalit community such as Babu Jagjivan Ram and Sitaram Kesri. He accused the party of having humiliated its own leaders and claimed that Congress had also failed to give Dr BR Ambedkar the respect he deserved for a long period.
The programme witnessed Dhami and former Chief Minister and sitting Haridwar MP Trivendra Singh Rawat sharing the same stage. Both the leaders addressed the gathering. Their appearance together at the programme attracted attention, particularly as the event brought together several prominent BJP leaders. Haridwar MP and former Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, Rajya Sabha member Kalpana Saini, Cabinet Ministers Madan Kaushik and Pradeep Batra, MLA Adesh Chauhan, Mayor Kiran Jaisal and a large number of members of the Punjabi community attended the programme. BJP office-bearers from different parts of the state were also present.
Also among those present were Sant Jagjit Singh Shastri, Swami Alok Das, Swami Lokesh Das, Uttaranchal Punjabi Mahasabha state president Karan Malhotra and district president Praveen Kumar, besides several other representatives of the Punjabi community and social organisations.
The Vibhajan Vibhishika event was organised to recall the suffering of millions who were displaced during the Partition and to pay tribute to those who lost their lives during one of the most traumatic episodes in the country’s history.
