Congress leader Kulbir Singh Zira was arrested from his home in Punjab’s Ferozepur district on Tuesday on charges of obstructing a government official from discharging his duties, reported The Indian Express.
Zira, who is the Congress’ district unit chief, was produced before the sub-divisional judicial magistrate following his arrest and sent to the Ferozepur jail till October 31.
A large number of his supporters gathered outside the Sadar Police Station and shouted slogans against the Aam Aadmi Party government, reported PTI.
The development came after Zira, along with sarpanches of over 100 villages, staged a protest inside the office of Surjit Singh, a block development program officer, from October 10 to October 13. The protestors alleged corruption by Singh in releasing grants to panchayats. They also accused the officer of being biased in implementing development projects.
“During the previous Congress government grant of more than Rs 115 crore had come for 116 villages but the BDPO is not releasing that old grant,” Zira had said during the protests. “Many sarpanches have got development works done and their bills are not being cleared. The BDPO office is even seeking a cut for releasing the grant and even the fresh works have been halted.”
The protestors were sleeping at Singh’s office too. However, he did not come to the office while the demonstration was going on, citing urgent meetings in Chandigarh.
The protest reportedly concluded after Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring voiced his support for the cause on October 13.
Following this, the police filed a first information report against Zira and 80 unknown persons under Indian Penal Code Sections 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 268 (public nuisance), and 149 (unlawful assembly of people) based on a complaint from Singh.
After Zira’s arrest, Warring said that the Aam Aadmi Party government was suppressing their voices. “But we will not remain silent,” he wrote. “There will be a massive protest by the Punjab Congress against this vindictiveness.”
Zira was the Congress MLA from the Zira constituency from 2017 to 2022.
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