Harpal Singh Cheema. (File) A day after the AAP leaders were not allowed to meet labour rights activist Nodeep Kaur on their visit to Karnal jail, the senior leader of the party and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Punjab Assembly, Harpal Singh Cheema, wrote to Haryana Chief Minister
Manohar Lal Khattar demanding immediate release of Kaur.
Cheema along with deputy leader of opposition Sarvjeet Kaur Manuke and party’s Youth Wing co-president Anmol Gagan Mann had visited Karnal jail on Tuesday to meet Kaur. However, they were prevented from meeting her by the jail authorities.
Cheema, in his letter, stated that Kaur, who had been agitating for the rights of her fellow factory worker, was detained by the Haryana Police and had been kept in custody at Karnal jail for the last one month. Information about her well-being was not being communicated properly.
He stated that during their visit to Karnal jail on Tuesday, the jail authorities denied permission to enter the premises citing Covid guidelines. Taking a dig at the BJP-led government in Haryana, Cheema questioned the Haryana CM as to why they were prevented from meeting Kaur with such illogical reasons.
He said that despite an application being submitted at the Karnal jail, the Haryana Police was stating that meetings had been cancelled due to Covid. “As the Leader of Opposition of a neighbouring state, I would like to ask you as to why people are being prevented from meeting Nodeep Kaur? Is the government trying to hide something from the people? Does the government want to keep the information about her well-being hidden? Or are there some other reasons?” the letter reads.
Cheema stated that regardless of what the reason might be, the AAP demands immediate release of Kaur and the members of the AAP be allowed to meet her in prison in the presence of a senior official.
He said that as the principal opposition party in Punjab, the AAP would provide all possible help to Kaur and her family. Cheema said that the BJP-led government in Haryana and at the Centre had been using force to suppress any sort of protest and voice of the activists.
Cheema said that Kaur’s only crime was that she was protesting for the rights of the factory labourers. He said that the AAP will always keep fighting for the rights of the farmers and activists and will stand by them till the end.