Congress leaders turn up at gangster-turned-politician Rocky’s cremation

He added: “Rocky was my political rival. He contested against me and I lost. I had no familiarity with him. It was not just me but leaders from all political parties were there.”

Congress leader Hans Raj Josan from Jalalabad, too, cited his ties with the gangster’s father, who was murdered about eight years ago. “I had contested from high-profile Jalalabad constituency against Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal. Today’s cremation was a social function, and just to nurture one’s constituency one has to go with the sentiment,” thefour-time MLA and former forest minister said. However, Rinwa criticised the security provided to Rocky when he was alive. “I am an ex-MLA and I have one gunman. But he had two gunmen.”

Josan referred to Rocky’s votebank. “He must have had a bad past, but over the last four-five years, he had built his reputation in this area. He polled 39,000 votes in Vidhan Sabha from Fazilka while I got around 32,000 from Jalalabad.”

Accusing the Punjab government of patronising gangsters, former Congress Legislature Party leader Sunil Kumar Jakhar has stated that he will file an PIL against the government decision to provide gunmen to Rocky.

While certain senior leaders of the Congress said the presence of party leaders at the cremation would project the party in a bad light, AICC general secretary incharge, Dr Shakeel Ahmad said he could not answer for the action of his collegaues.

“I do not know why and in which capacity they went there. I do not know the background. They are the best persons to answer this,” Ahmad told The Indian Express.

Feigning ignorance at Rocky’s murder, Ahmad said he was not aware of what was happening in Punjab.

A former BSP MP from Uttar Pradesh, Dhananjay Singh, too, turned up at Rocky’s cremation. Singh was acquitted in a rape case in 2014.

Rocky cremated amid tight security

Thousands gathered to attend cremation of gangster-turned-politician Jaswinder Rocky at his native village Jhuggian Kehar Singh on Monday. There was tight security in the entire district, especially on the main roads. Police were conducting a thorough check on vehicles heading towards the cremation, and asking every driver whether they had a weapon.

The body of the gangster, who was booked in over two dozen police cases, was brought to his Badha Lake-based bungalow in Fazilka town on Sunday night. From there, the cremation procession started at 8 am on Monday.

Rocky, who had contested the Assembly polls in 2012, was cremated in his own farm land and the whole event was videotaped by the police, which also noted down the numbers of the vehicles which came for the cremation.

“This was Rocky’s vote bank, as he had got over 39,000 votes in Vidhan Sabha polls,” said a supporter, shouting ‘Rocky Amar Rahe’.

Rocky’s mother Harmohinder Kaur, who is an Amritdhari woman, was specially brought from hospital to attend the cremation. But she did not come out of the car as she was said to be unwell. His sister Rajdeep Kaur, who is also Amritdhari, too attended the cremation.