Amid protests, Mann visits Moosewala’s family to pay condolences

Amid protests, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday visited the family of singer Sidhu Moosewala at his residence in Mansa, days after the Punjabi singer was shot dead.

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann meets with the family members of Punjabi singer and Congress leader Sidhu Moose Wala, who was shot dead on May 29th, in Mansa on Friday. ANI

The singer-turned-politician was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Jawaharke village in Mansa district of Punjab on Sunday, a day after the Punjab government curtailed his security cover. Heavy police security was deployed outside the residence of the Punjabi singer as Mann reached the Moosa village to express his condolences to the family.

Heavy police force was deployed outside Moosewala’s residence in view of the Chief Minister’s visit. Ahead of Mann’s visit, villagers staged a protest against the Punjab Police for allegedly preventing them from entering Moosa village. The protesters also raised slogans against the state government. A villager claimed, “Our vehicles are being stopped from entering the village. Vehicles of our relatives are not being allowed to enter.”

However, the police said that no one was stopped from entering the village.

Meanwhile, AAP accused the Congress of doing “dirty politics” over the killing of Moosewala. The ruling party’s chief spokesperson Malvinder Singh Kang claimed that some Congress leaders and supporters, including a former MLA, were creating trouble. Punjab ministers Harpal Singh Cheema and Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal had met Moosewala’s family in Mansa on Thursday to condole the singer’s death.

AAP MLA from Sardulgarh constituency of Mansa District Gurpreet Singh Banawali also faced protests from locals during his visit to the Punjabi singer’s residence.

On Thursday, the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government told the Punjab and Haryana High Court that it will restore the security cover to all 424 people from June 7 which was withdrawn temporarily for the Amritsar Ghalughara event.

With inputs from ANI.