Amarinder now to lead dharna at Jantar Mantar instead of at Rajghat

New Delhi, November 4

Acting on the advice of Delhi Police, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh will now stage relay dharna along with his Cabinet colleagues and legislators at Jantar Mantar here on Wednesday in place of Rajghat.

He will reach Jantar Mantar after paying respect to the Father of the Nation at Rajghat at noon. The MLAs' relay dharna, earlier scheduled to be held at Rajghat, has now been shifted to Jantar Mantar on the request of Delhi Police in view of various security restrictions in place in the national capital, an official statement by the Chief Minister's Office said on Wednesday.

The Chief Minister on Tuesday announced that he would lead a relay dharna of Congress MLAs at the Rajghat on Wednesday to highlight the state's "power crisis and critical essential supplies" situation amid the Centre's alleged adamant refusal to allow movement of goods trains due to farmers' agitation.

The Chief Minister said that Punjab had run out of coal, urea and DAP and other essential supplies due to the Railways’ decision not to ply goods trains even after the farmers eased their blockade to allow such movement.

As the crisis resulted in complete shutdown of all power plants as well as curtailment of agricultural and vegetables supplies, the Chief Minister said he had decided to hold a "symbolic relay dharna" to bring the state's grim situation to the Centre's notice.

The Chief Minister had earlier failed to get an appointment with President Ram Nath Kovind on the agriculture-related amendment Bills.

Since Section 144 of the CrPC is enforced in Delhi, party MLAs will go from Punjab Bhawan in Delhi to the dharna site in batches of four, he said, adding that he would lead the first batch. IANS