Ambedkar’s statues were damaged under a deep conspiracy: Raja Waring

Punjab: Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring on Saturday alleged that statues of Dalit leader BR Ambedkar in the state were vandalised as part of a deep-rooted conspiracy, which he said his party would expose. “Even during the days of terrorism in Punjab, this did not happen. We are investigating it,” he told Congress workers at the party’s ‘Samvidhan Bachao Rally’ at Shamchurasi here. The statement came after a series of such incidents in the state. Recently, alleged desecration of Ambedkar’s statue was reported from a village in Garhshankar of Hoshiarpur. Sikh For Justice (SFJ) chief Gurpatwant Singh Pannu had claimed responsibility for these incidents. Warring also criticised the Punjab government’s recently introduced land pooling policy and termed it an attempt to “loot” the state, an allegation repeatedly levelled by opposition parties. The opposition has alleged that its implementation will lead to large-scale corruption by the ruling AAP leaders, while the government claims that it will boost urban development and farmers will get high-value plots in exchange for the land given by them. Opposing the scheme launched for 27 urban centres, Waring said, “Wherever farmers are not ready to give their land under this scheme, the entire Congress will stand firmly with them and will not allow the land to be acquired.” He also criticised the ruling AAP for mounting debt on the state, Waring said the debt has already reached Rs 4.25 lakh crore. ‘Large-scale corruption in mining sector’ Addressing party workers, Leader of Opposition in Punjab Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa accused AAP leaders of indulging in “large-scale loot” in the mining sector. “Family members of ministers and MLAs extort money from those involved in mining,” he alleged.