FOUR Left Parties of Punjab – CPI, CPI(M), CPM Punjab and CPI(ML) Liberation held a protest dharna at Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s residence in Chandigarh on  July 08, 2015. The dharna was led by state secretaries Hardev Arshi (CPI), Charan Singh Virdi (CPI(M), Mangat Ram Pasla (CPM Punjab ) and Gurmit Singh Bakhtupur (CPI(ML) Liberation). The dharna was organised for lodging protest against the unresponsive attitude of the Badal government towards 15 point demand charter containing just and genuine demands on the burning problems of the people – workers, peasants, youth and women etc.

The state leaders from all over the state, breaking section 144 clamped in Chandigarh gathered near the chief minister’s residence and marched towards it holding red flags and raising thundering slogans. They were stopped by the police by erecting barricades on the road. The protesters squatted on the road and started their protest dharna. The dharna was addressed by Hardev Arshi,  Jagroop Singh , Bant Brar from CPI, Charan Singh Virdi,  Vijay Misra, Raghunath Singh, R S Virk  from  CPI(M), Mangat Ram Pasla, Harkanwal Singh, Gurnam Singh Daud from  CPM Punjab , Gurmit Singh Bakhtupur, Rajwinder Rana,  Ruldu Singh from CPI(ML) Liberation.

The speakers apart from explaining the just and legitimate demands, strongly condemned the adamant and unresponsive attitude of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.  The speakers demanded old age and widow pension to be raised to Rs 3000, minimum wage to Rs 15 thousand  per month, 10 marla plots to all houseless people, filling up of all vacant posts in government departments, unemployment allowance and round the year work to MGNREGA workers.  The state leaders strongly condemned the callousness of the chief minister who did not receive the mass deputation. It was resolved to make the agitation more broadbased and militant and called upon the people to make the 20th July district level demonstrations a grand success.