Bhagwant Mann, Harpal Cheema to protest outside Capt’s Moti Mahal residence.
Chandigarh, July 30
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab will stage a state-wide protest on Friday against the Punjab government’s decision to sell ‘donated’ plasma (blood cells) at an astronomical rate to corona patients undergoing treatment in various private hospitals.
In a statement issued from party headquarters on Thursday, state president and MP Bhagwant Mann said the absurd and anti-people decisions of the state and central governments were forcing people to take to the streets amid the Corona epidemic.
Mann said, while the anti-farm ordinances were being imposed upon the farmers by the Union government (Modi), forcing various political parties, farmers, farm worker organizations to take to the streets in protest against the dictatorial and draconian decisions.
He said while there was a desperate need for the state government coming forth to provide succour to the people waging a grim battle against the corona pandemic, it was indulging in the sale of ‘donated’ plasma. He said the Aam Aadmi Party would not see all this happening as a mute witness as to how ‘donated’ plasma was being sold out to those undergoing treatment at various private hospitals at a price of Rs 20,000 per unit.
Mann said: “As the principal opposition party, we strongly oppose the open ‘loot’ by the government allowing sale of ‘donated’ plasma as a price. We will hold peaceful and symbolic protests against this decision on Friday all across Punjab, strictly observing the essential safety Corona stipulations.”
The AAP MP informed that he along with Leader of Opposition Harpal Singh Cheema, would sit in protest outside the Chief Minister’s Moti Mahal residence in Patiala, while senior leader and party MLAs Kultar Singh Sandhwan and Meet Hayer would sit in protest outside the Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu’s residence in Mohali.
He added that the party units from all the assembly constituencies would stage peaceful protests, along with their respective MLAs or local leaders and submit memorandums to the government through area SDMs and Deputy Commissioners.