Punjab Villager’s Death: Congress Leaders Hold Demonstration Against Minister Harpal Cheem

AICC Congress General Secretary in charge of the Punjab pilot Sachin, MP Charanjit Singh Channi, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee President Amrinder Singh Raja Warring and other Congress leaders staged a protest on 16 September 2026 demanding the removal of Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema. Photo credit: PTI

Members of the Punjab Congress on Tuesday (15 September 2026) led a demonstration in Chandigarh against state finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema during a protest demanding the removal of finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema after a Dalit man allegedly took his own life.

Police resorted to water cannons to disperse the agitating protesters while AICC Congress general secretary in-charge Punjab Sachin, Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa and other party leaders were detained.

Congress leaders and workers from Punjab gathered at the party office from where they tried to break the barricades erected by the administration in an attempt to march towards Mr Cheema’s official residence. The police dispersed the protesters with water cannons.

Gulzar Singh, who hailed from Dirba in Sangrur district, died by suicide on September 7. His family and the opposition claimed he was harassed and subjected to casteist slurs for questioning Mr Cheema about drug supply in his area at an event in Dirba the day before.

The police registered a case under relevant sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and detained five people under Section 108 (incitement to suicide) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

A purported video of Singh’s last moments has emerged in which he talks about the interrogation of Mr Cheema, prompting opposition parties to demand the resignation of Finance Minister and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.

Mr. Pilot, who led the demonstration, addressed the protesters outside the Punjab Congress headquarters and criticized the AAP government over Singh’s death. “The Congress had nothing personal against the finance minister, but the law does not require registration of an FIR followed by a detailed investigation when a person has mentioned the minister’s name in his death declaration,” he quipped at the rally.

Mr. Pilot said Gulzar Singh’s death was a reflection of what was happening in Punjab, much against AAP’s claims. “The situation is that a poor Dalit had to pay with his life just for raising a query about the free availability of drugs to which his son fell victim,” he claimed.

This is Mr. Pilot’s first visit to Punjab since he was appointed Chief Secretary in charge of the state.

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#WATCH | Chandigarh: On the death of Gulzar Singh in Sangrur, Punjab Congress chief and MP Amarinder Singh Raja Warring says, “…Today, the entire Congress party led by Sachin Pilot took out a march. We demand that Harpal Cheema resign, that an FIR be registered… pic.twitter.com/O4IYO0XpsS

— ANI (@ANI) September 15, 2026

With PTI inputs

Published – 15 Sep 2026 16:39 IST