Thaindian News

Zirakpur (Punjab), April 16 (IANS) A Punjab politician has perched himself atop a eucalyptus tree for over a day and insists he would not come down till Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal personally comes to listen to his grievance.

Avtar Singh Nagla climbed up a eucalyptus tree in Nagla village Friday, armed with water bottles and eatables.

Nagla, who unsuccessfully contested the 2007 assembly elections, said: “I will not come down till Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal himself comes here and listens to my grievances. Earlier too, I had staged protest demonstrations at various places but every time police forcibly removed me. Now, they cannot do anything.”

There was high drama as police and the administration were busy trying to persuade him to come down, but Nagla refused to and till filing of this report had spent more than 30 hours on the tree.

As Nagla refused to come down even after sunset, halogen lights were installed around the tree and a heavy police force deployed in the area.

On the reason behind his extreme step, Nagla said: “The state government had given several acres of land here on lease to a paper mill company so as to provide employment to the villagers. But the mill owners sold the land to a property dealer at very high prices. I want that land back.”

Officials said they were trying to persuade Nagla to come down.

“He has refused to come down and is adamant over his demand of meeting the chief minister. He is talking about an old matter of 1971. I have directed the officials to look into it,” Dera Bassi sub-divisional magistrate Puneet Goyal told IANS.

Nagla in Mohali district, located on Chandigarh-Ambala highway near Zirakpur town, is around 15 km from Chandigarh.