SAD takes out march against Punjab hooch tragedy

The Shiromani Akali Dal here on Sunday took out a protest march over the spurious liquor tragedy that claimed 121 lives in three districts of the state recently.

The protest was led by former state minister Hira Singh Gabria. They were briefly detained and stopped by police from going towards the Raj Bhawan.

They demanded a central vigilance probe into the charges that the “illegal liquor mafia in Punjab paid money to the Congress high command to scuttle any fair probe into the hooch tragedy”.

Meanwhile in Amritsar, the SAD rejected the Rs 5 lakh compensation offered by the state government for each of the family of the tragedy victims. They said a relief of Rs 25 lakh and a government job should be given to next of their kin.

As many as 121 people had died in the spurious liquor tragedy in Tarn Taran, Amritsar and Gurdaspur's Batala. Former minister and senior SAD leader Bikarm Singh Majithia visited Amritsar's Muchhal village and interacted with families of the victims.

He said the SAD will support them in their quest for justice and demanded an inquiry by the high court or CBI into the tragedy.

(Photo Credit: PTI)