Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) chief Kuldeep Bishnoi Tuesday said his party plans to file a criminal case against Chandigarh police in the Punjab and Haryana High Court for assaulting party workers and damaging their vehicles during a rally here March 5.
'We have already given complaints to Chandigarh police IG (inspector general) and the Punjab governor but so far we have not got any reply from them. I had even taken an appointment with the governor but it got cancelled at the last moment,' said Bishnoi, while talking to reporters here.
'Now, we have decided to move the high court to seek justice. We have talked to our lawyers and compiled evidence like video recordings and photographs pointing towards police atrocities during our peaceful rally,' he said.
HJC members Tuesday also ended their relay hunger-strike that was started March 8 to protest the Congress government. During this period, 11 HJC workers observed hunger-strike every day.
Police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) used batons, tear gas and water cannons to disperse over 2,000 agitating HJC workers during their March 5 rally here at Sector 25. HJC workers said policemen also smashed windscreens and windows of the party workers' vehicles parked close to the rally ground.
Later, 25 HJC members, including Bishnoi, were booked for attempt to murder, rioting and assaulting.
'Chandigarh police, who are working at the behest of Congress government, booked us under Section 307 (attempt to murder) to save their own face. We were not carrying any weapon and were only marching peacefully but the police treated us like animals,' said Bishnoi.
He said the party would launch a state-wide campaign April 13 from Narnaul town to expose the wrong doings of the state government.
Bishnoi also demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the recent case of extortion involving the Special Task Force (STF) of Haryana police.
'STF officials were directly reporting to Haryana DGP (director general of police) and the chief minister. This is a conspiracy and there is a strong possibility of involvement of more officials in it. Therefore, we demand an independent CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) probe into it,' Bishnoi said.
Bishnoi is son of former Haryana chief minister Bhajan Lal. He and his father were expelled from the Congress following which they floated the HJC.
