Mann should own responsibility for law and order deterioration: Sukhbir
Darpan News Desk IANS, 29 Nov, 2022 01:12 PM
Chandigarh, Nov 29 (IANS) Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal on Tuesday said Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann should own responsibility for "failing" to maintain law and order and ensuring that no one is allowed to disturb communal harmony in Punjab.
In a statement here, the SAD President said instead of instilling confidence in people of Punjab by taking appropriate steps, the Chief Minister had fled the state to campaign for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Gujarat along with his cabinet.
Asserting that people of Punjab had given a massive mandate to AAP to bring about positive change and not use the state's resources to expand AAP's influence across the country and paralyse governance in the state, Badal said "never in the history of the state had such a situation arose when an elected government has forsaken its people and allowed the state to slip into anarchy".
Badal said, "No one is feeling safe in Punjab today. Targetted killings are an everyday event with an Akali worker gunned down near Batala today. Earlier, we have witnessed the gruesome murder of youth icon Sidhu Moosewala, RPG attack on the Punjab Police Intelligence headquarter, Hindu-Sikh clashes and even sensational escape of gangster Deepak Tinu from police custody.
"The AAP government has in eight months taken the state back by 24 years with people now being forced to remember the era of darkness of the 1980's which was also heralded by the breakdown of law and order and communal disturbances."
Asserting that the culture of extortions which was being patronised from jails had instilled fear in the minds of people from all walks of life, Badal said: "A number of investors have met me recently and told me that the atmosphere in Punjab is not conducive for investment currently. Even home-grown businessmen are choosing to move out of the state. All this is causing further job losses and unemployment with many youth approaching me and relating how they had lost jobs due to deteriorating industrial climate in the state."
He said the worst impact of this state of affairs was being felt in ties between the two principal communities and the atmosphere of peace and communal harmony painstakingly stitched together by former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal was looking like a thing of the distant past now.
Badal said it was condemnable that instead of going for a course correction, the AAP government was relying on cheap gimmicks and propaganda to fool the people.
"The Anti Gangster Force which was advertised by spending crores in advertisements has turned out to be a complete flop show. In fact, the state has witnessed an increase in activity of gangsters and subsequent killings and extortions. Similarly, snatchings and robberies have increased bringing misery to the common man."
Asking the government to leave propaganda and take concrete measures to stem the rot, Badal called for efficient monitoring of police stations, increased patrolling and even night patrolling and zero tolerance towards crime.
The Chief Minister also sought a compensation of Rs 500 per quintal for low yield of wheat in the state. He said due to intense heat during this summer season, the wheat grains in Punjab have been damaged, adding it is the high time that farmers must be compensated for this damage by giving compensation.
The top court noted it was urged that simply because it was a spontaneous incident where no weapon was used, but held that this cannot be a ground to inflict minimal and innocuous punishment of fine of Rs 1,000.
At the time of the Partition, Mumtaz Bibi was an infant who was lying on her mother's dead body who was killed by the violent mobs, Dawn news reported. One Muhammad Iqbal and his wife, Allah Rakhi, adopted the infant and raised her as their own daughter, naming her Mumtaz Bibi.
The meeting between the Chief Minister and leaders of 23 farmers' unions under the banner of the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha that lasted for over two and half hours here.
Besides, the NCSC also asked the government to stop the eviction drive and maintain status quo. In a complaint to the NCSC, residents of Bhama Kalan village said they have possession of 200 acres in the village since 1947.
Talwandi Sabo Power Limited, a private firm based in Mansa, took the help of a middleman and allegedly paid Rs 50 lakh to get the visa issued for the Chinese nationals which would help it in completing a project before the deadline, according to the CBI.
