Chandigarh, February 25
The Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Tuesday unanimously passed the Censure Motion condemning the removal of the pictures of Babasaheb Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar and Shaheed Bhagat Singh by the BJP’s Delhi Government immediately after assuming the office. The motion was moved by Cabinet Minister Aman Arora, and came down heavily on the BJP Government of NCT Delhi for insulting the national heroes.
Earlier, raising the issue in the Punjab Assembly during the Zero Hour, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema called for the Punjab Vidhan Sabha to pass a resolution condemning the actions of the BJP government in Delhi and to send it to the President of the country.
Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema expressed his deep concerns over the actions of the BJP government in Delhi. He said that the capital of the nation has witnessed a grave insult to Babasaheb Ambedkar and the Dalit community since the BJP assumed office. The immediate removal of Babasaheb Ambedkar’s pictures by the BJP government in Delhi serves as a blatant affront to the Dalits of the country, he asserted.
Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema also highlighted the alarming increase in atrocities committed against Dalits since the BJP came to power at Centre. He said that the instances of rape and blatant attempts to tinker with the constitution have become distressingly frequent, further fueling concerns about the BJP’s intentions to alter the very fabric of the nation’s constitution. The Finance Minister said that this apprehension was substantiated by the disrespect shown to Dr. Ambedkar by Home Minister Amit Shah in the Parliament, which further vitiated the atmosphere and lead to desecration of Dr. Ambedkar’s statue in Amritsar.
Drawing attention to a recent attempt to desecrate the statue of Babasaheb Dr. Ambedkar, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema expressed his gratitude to Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann for swiftly apprehending the accused. He said that it reflected the government’s commitment to upholding justice and protecting the dignity of Babasaheb Ambedkar’s legacy. In stark contrast, he asserted that if the BJP were in power in Punjab, the accused would have been shielded from accountability.
Finance Minister Cheema also criticized the BJP’s efforts to dismantle established institutions and bringing policies like One Nation One Election, which he believes undermine the democratic principles and rights enshrined in the constitution. He accused the BJP of attempting to do away with the very rights that Babasaheb Dr. Ambedkar had championed for the poor and Dalit communities.
Thanking the Leader of Opposition (LoP) Partap Singh Bajwa for supporting the cause, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema stressed on the importance of standing united against any such attempts to erode the rights and dignity of marginalized communities and preserving the values of justice and equality that Babasaheb Ambedkar fought for. MLAs Dr. Sukhwinder Kumar Sukhi and Nachhattar Pal Singh also strongly criticized the narrow-minded attitude of the BJP Government of the NCT Delhi.
