Senior Congress leader Hardial Kambhoj and former ADGP Gurinder Singh Dhillon — also a senior Patiala-based Congress leader —visited Rajindra Hospital in Patiala to meet six young protesters injured during yesterday’s police action.
“It is important to note that approximately 2,600 job seekers are directly affected by this issue,” the Congress leaders said in a joint statement. “They are qualified, eligible young people seeking employment opportunities for which they have worked hard and prepared,” leaders said.
“They are among the victims of what appears to be an unnecessary and unwarranted use of force by the Patiala Police against protesting job seekers,” Kambhoj added. “I also visited the dharna site outside the PSPCL gate and personally heard the grievances and demands of the protesting youth. Young men from different parts of Punjab have gathered there to voice their concerns peacefully. Their demands are genuine and deserve the government’s immediate attention,” he said.
Dhillon emphasised that dialogue and engagement must always take precedence over force in a democratic society. “The government should address the concerns of the youth through meaningful discussion rather than coercive measures,” he said, adding that despite their injuries and hardships, he found the young protesters “remarkably resilient and determined.”
The clash occurred on Friday when the police resorted to a cane-charge to disperse apprentice linemen protesting outside the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) headquarters. The union members, who have been protesting for the past two months to demand regular appointments by the power utility, had locked both gates of the headquarters for over four hours.
