Dalit IPS officer's death: AAP to hold candlelight marches across Punjab

The Aam Aadmi Party ( AAP ) on Sunday intensified its campaign across Punjab , demanding justice for Haryana IPS officer Y. Puran Kumar, a Dalit officer who recently died by suicide.

AAP ministers and MLAs will lead candlelight marches across major districts of Punjab. Harbhajan Singh ETO will head the march in Amritsar, Mohinder Bhagat in Jalandhar, Gurdev Devmann in Patiala, while senior party leaders will lead the march in Chandigarh.

The protests come after Kumar died by suicide at his Chandigarh residence on October 7. He reportedly left a nine-page suicide note alleging caste-based discrimination, mental harassment, and administrative oppression by several senior IAS and IPS officers in Haryana.

The party has accused the BJP-led Haryana government of remaining silent over the officer’s alleged suicide, sparking widespread outrage.

The party stated that the BJP government’s response reflects a lack of sensitivity toward issues affecting the Dalit community. They claimed that delays in the post-mortem and last rites reflect attempts to suppress the truth under political pressure.

The party also linked its campaign for justice for the IPS officer to Dr B.R. Ambedkar’s principles of justice and equality.

“The people of Punjab will not tolerate injustice against an honest officer like Puran Kumar. If a senior IPS officer cannot get justice, what hope is there for the common citizen?” AAP said.

The party said the movement will continue until Puran Kumar’s family gets justice.