Punjab: Supporters of former Congress MLA Kulbir Singh Zira stage protest after his arrest

Firozpur (Punjab) [India], October 17 (ANI): Hours after former Congress MLA Kulbir Singh Zira was arrested by police, his supporters staged a protest and sat on strike outside the Central Jail in Firozpur on Tuesday against Zira’s arrest.

The supporters of the former Congress MLA were seen with placards, raising slogans outside the Central Jail in Firozpur.

Zira was arrested by police on Tuesday morning from his residence in Zira in the Firozpur district for allegedly obstructing officials from performing their official duties.

Zira along with his supporters was booked by the police a few days back for disrupting government officials from performing their duties.

Police arrested the former Congress MLA after an official posted in the BDPO office requested the police to take action against him and his colleagues who were sitting inside the office for three days and allegedly obstructing official work including tampering with government documents.

“After producing him before the Duty Magistrate, the former MLA has been sent to judicial custody by the Duty Magistrate till October 30,” an official said.

The case has been registered against Kulbir Singh Zira under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, police said.

The state Congress unit has also protested the arrest of the former Congress MLA which comes after another Congress MLA Sukhpal Khaira was arrested from his residence on September 2 in connection with a 2015 alleged drug smuggling case. Khaira was on Monday sent to 14 days judicial custody in the case.

“The recent arrest of Kulbir Singh Zira ji is not only reprehensible but also shows the heinous politics of this government. The government’s fear is clearly visible. A case has been filed against Zira Saab for protesting against government officials who were not performing their duties. @AAPPunjab Government wants to suppress our voice by force. But we will not remain silent, there will be a massive protest by the Punjab Congress against this vindictiveness” Congress Punjab unit president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring posted on X.