Wings of lawlessness sweeping Punjab are blowing politicians off their feet. In less than 48 hours, a politician in Punjab has been killed, sitting MlA has been attacked, and his close aide has been injured in separate incidents.
All this comes as a credence of sorts to the Congress assertions on the deteriorating law and order situation in the State — and that too when the State is heading towards Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti polls.In both the incidents, the State Congress leaders were involved, who were attacked allegedly by the Akali workers.
22-year-old Youth Congress leader Sukhraj Singh Bhugupur was shot allegedly by Akali activists on Wednesday after he filed nominations for a second term in Patti assembly constituency in Tarn Taran district.
A day before that, Congress MlA from Guru Har Sahai Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi and other party workers entered into a brawl with the Akali workers during the filing of nomination in Mamdot area of Ferozepur district on Tuesday. The clash left Sodhi’s personal assistant injured allegedly after Akali supporters resorted to firing.
Punjab Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa on Thursday alleged that the reports of attack on other Congress candidates in Panchayati Raj elections were also coming in from all districts of Punjab.
Congress has all along been criticising the State Government and the police authorities for its failure to check the rising crime rate in the state. The series of events in the past six months have also highlighted the “helplessness” of the State cops and their inability to save its own men.
These incidents came within six months after an Assistant Sub-Inspector in Amritsar was murdered in broad daylight by Akali men, a senior police officer was attacked by “expelled” Youth Akali Dal (YAD) leader leaving his leg fractured, an on-duty home guard was roughed up by YAD leader’s nephew in Gurdaspur, among other such incidents.
Moreover, in the recent past, four cops have been done to death including ASI Gurdev Singh killed in cold blood by miscreants, ASI Ravinder Pal Singh Mangat crushed to death in Patiala, ASI Kulbir Singh killed during farmer’s agitation near Tarn Taran, besides Amritsar ASI Ravinderpal Singh murdered for saving honour of his daughter.
“These incidents have further reinforced our allegations that law of jungle prevails in Punjab. There is complete gunda raaj in the State where even the MlAs or politicians are not safe, leave aside the common man,” leader of Opposition in Punjab Vidhan Sabha Sunil Kumar Jakhar told The Pioneer.
He added, “We had apprehended that the ruling alliance can go up to any extent using muscle power or money to demoralise Congress workers to win Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections. And, all this has proved it.”
Blaming Badals for shielding criminal elements, Bajwa maintained that the Akali Dal has become “a sanctuary for murderers, gangsters, racketeers, and land grabbers”.
Describing youth Congress leader’s killing as “a political murder”, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief said: “SAD leaders and workers have thrown law and order to winds and atmosphere of an anarchy prevailed in the State. SAD leaders are directly involved in murder of Sukhraj Singh and an attack on Sodhi.”
In chorus, PPCC general secretary Fateh Singh Bajwa alleged that Akali workers indulging in violence has “tactic support” of SAD leadership.
“Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal is directly responsible for the violence during Block Samiti and Zila Parishad elections. Akalis have no fear of law and they are dictating police to register false cases against Congress candidates in Panchayat elections,” he alleged.
Describing the Akalis cowards for attacking “unarmed” Congress workers, Fateh Bajwa flayed the State Government for withdrawing security cover of Congress leaders. He, in fact, sought security for all Congress candidates contesting Block Samiti and Zila Parishad elections.
For deteriorating law and order situation in the State, Congress had been finding fault with the shifting of power-center from Badal to his deputy son and SAD chief Sukhbir Badal, who along with his brother-in-law Bikram Majithia are “indulging in highhandedness”.
Calling upon all secular and democratic forces to join hands to meet head-on with ruling SAD’s attempts to weaken democratic process through “gun culture”, the Communist Party of India’s national executive committee member Dr Joginder Dayal asserted that even the Congress during its regime had resorted to highhandedness in such elections, but now the situation had “crossed all limits”.
“The situation had now reached such dangerous proportions that the power of gun is being resorted to by Akali Dal even at the stage of nominations in the panchayat bodies’ elections. Even its alliance partner, BJP, had been terrorized into submission by denying appropriate share in the allotment of seats,” said Dr Dayal.