Bajwa's Remark Is An Insult To Dalit Community; Congress Must Apologize Within 24 Hours: Harpal Cheema

Punjab: Senior leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, Forest Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak, and AAP Punjab Media In-charge Baltej Pannu, have jointly, in strong words, condemned the unfortunate and objectionable remark made by Leader of the Opposition and Congress leader Pratap Singh Bajwa about Punjab Cabinet Minister Harbhajan Singh E.T.O.

The three leaders termed the Congress party as having an anti-Dalit mindset and issued a stern warning to Bajwa and the Congress party to apologize within 24 hours, failing which strict legal and political action would be taken.

What did Harpal Singh Cheema say?

Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, calling Bajwa’s remark a “highly unfortunate statement,” said that Cabinet Minister Harbhajan Singh E.T.O. is a personality who rose out of poverty, cleared the civil services examination through hard work, became an E.T.O. in the Punjab Allied Services, and, with a spirit of social service, resigned from his job to join the Aam Aadmi Party. The Aam Aadmi Party gave him respect and made him a minister. But today, Pratap Singh Bajwa has used extremely derogatory words against him, which is an insult to the entire Dalit community.

Cheema said that the Congress party is an anti-Dalit party. All Dalit ministers are on the Congress party’s target. Sometimes under some pretext, sometimes by taking names, sometimes calling them “material,” and now calling them “band players.” Using such language against Dalits is extremely unfortunate. 

Finance Minister Cheema said in a stern tone that either Pratap Singh Bajwa and the entire Congress party must apologize to the Dalit community within 24 hours, or be prepared for strict action. He said this is a very big insult to the Dalit community of Punjab. It is a matter that discourages children who move ahead through hard work in Punjab.

Cheema further said that many Congress leaders are repeatedly targeting Dalits and Scheduled Caste–Scheduled Tribe people of Punjab and insulting them in public rallies. The Aam Aadmi Party is the first party that neither looked at poverty nor wealth, but brought forward the people who wanted to serve. Today there are 95 MLAs in Punjab, many of whom come from humble backgrounds and poor households. Insult on the basis of caste will not be tolerated by Dalits of Punjab, nor by Dalits of the country. The Congress party will be taught a lesson.

What did Forest Minister say?

Forest Minister Lal Chand Kataruchakk, while strongly condemning Bajwa’s statement, said that this is not a new remark by Pratap Singh Bajwa. From time to time, he targets leaders who rise from among workers and Dalits. Earlier too, he has made many comments against Dalit leaders.

Referring to Bajwa’s earlier comment, Kataruchakk said that Bajwa had even said about Dalit leaders of his own party, “If instead of Arab horses you make “desi tattu” run, then this will be the condition in elections.” This clearly reflects that Congress has never given deserving space to top Dalit leaders to move ahead.

Mentioning a historical incident, Kataruchakk said that Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Baba Saheb, who is revered by the entire country and especially by the Dalit community, had his own P.A. targeted by Congress and fielded against Baba Saheb in elections. The entire Congress party went to campaign against Baba Saheb at that time and did despicable acts to prevent him from entering Parliament. This is a long history of Congress’s anti-Dalit mindset.

Kataruchak said that these people sometimes call someone a mobile repairer, sometimes a band player. We are working people. We share happiness by playing music at people’s celebrations.

Why did he call it a feudal mindset?

Addressing Bajwa directly, he said that you are afflicted with a feudal mindset. You do not want any leader emerging from among workers to move ahead on the land of Punjab. Referring to the Guru Sahib’s bani “Rangrete Guru ke bete,” he said that you do not even have shame for the principles and traditions of the Gurus, that the people whom the Gurus embraced, you are using such words against them.

Kataruchak warned that abandon this mindset, otherwise in 2027 people will teach a lesson. E.T.O. Sahib’s father played the band, worked hard, laboured, and made his son an E.T.O. He may be more educated than you. Instead of his education, you are mocking his profession. This will not be tolerated by the people of Punjab, nor by the Dalit community, nor by any conscious person of Punjab.

What did Baltej Pannu say?

AAP Punjab Media In-charge Baltej Pannu said that Bajwa’s vulgar remark points to how much hatred Punjab Congress leaders carry in their minds about the Dalit community. They are calling Minister Harbhajan Singh E.T.O. a “band player.” Can a hardworking family not reach such a position through hard work?

Pannu said that the minds of Congress are filled only with this kind of thinking and they looted Punjab with this mentality. Now that hardworking people from ordinary homes are moving ahead, they are troubled. He is calling these leaders a mobile repairer, a band player, or referring to them as “material.”

Addressing Bajwa directly, Pannu said: remove the filth filled inside your mind and do not make vulgar remarks against any community. Be prepared for further action as per the law.

Pannu said with pride that Harbhajan Singh E.T.O.’s family is a hardworking family. If at some point his family had a band business, then it is a matter of pride that rising from such a family, E.T.O. Sahib has reached the post of Cabinet Minister.