PHAGWARA: The BJP SC Morcha Punjab President S.R. Ladhar in a letter written to Governor of Punjab has highlighted the discriminatory attitude of Bhagwant Mann led AAP government with the dalit victims of Majitha Hooch tragedy. He underline the different yardstick for giving compensation to upper caste victims.
Ladhar has demanded a high-level, independent probe into what he described as a “deliberate failure of governance” by the Aam Aadmi Party-led state administration.
In his letter, Ladhar expressed grave concern over the loss of lives—many of them from Scheduled Caste communities—in recent incidents involving toxic liquor. He cited the case of Majitha in Amritsar district, where 27 people reportedly died after consuming illicit alcohol. The tragedy was followed by the deaths of three more young men in Ludhiana under similar circumstances. Ladhar also recalled an earlier incident in Gujjran village, Sangrur district, where 22 people died, alleging that no effective investigation or accountability followed in that case either.
Talking to media here today, Ladhar alleged that the state government has failed to take meaningful action against those responsible, accusing it of shielding the liquor mafia, corrupt law enforcement personnel, and politically connected individuals. He argued that the pattern of official response indicates not just administrative negligence but also systemic caste-based injustice.
While Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had announced an ex-gratia relief of ₹10 lakh per victim’s family in the Majitha case, Ladhar pointed out that compensation due from central funds—amounting to ₹8.25 lakh for Scheduled Caste families—has not yet been released. According to him, this delay highlights discriminatory treatment, especially when compared to the government’s response in other cases.
Drawing a stark contrast, Ladhar referred to the case of Shubhkaran Singh, a Jat Sikh farmer who died during an agitation, whose family received ₹1 crore and a government job. “When poor Dalits die due to systemic failures, even basic relief is withheld, ” he said, questioning whether the rule of law is being applied selectively.
In his appeal to the Governor, Ladhar demanded that all victims be treated equally, irrespective of caste, in accordance with Article 15 of the Constitution. He further called for a court-monitored probe under the supervision of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, and recommended that if the state government fails to act, a CBI inquiry should be instituted.
He concluded by strongly criticizing what he termed as the AAP government’s focus on “advertisement over accountability, ” stating that it has excelled in self-promotion while failing to deliver justice and governance on the ground. Ladhar urged the Governor to personally intervene to ensure that the concerns of Dalits and economically weaker sections are not ignored or suppressed by political expediency.