Expressing grave concern over the reported threat of terrorist and communal violence looming over Punjab ahead of the Assembly elections, the State Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh on Tuesday called for the President’s Rule to counter the same.
“The situation necessitated immediate preventive measures, including conduct of the polls under central rule,” said the former chief minister reacting to the Centre’s missive to the Punjab police to remain alert against possible terror attacks and incidents of religious sacrilege.
He said that the situation warranted strong and stern measures, while seeking the Election Commission’s intervention with the President’s Rule as a step towards normalizing the law and order in the state and securing it from external threats.
“The alert is issued to the Punjab Police by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) was not enough to tackle the danger of violence facing the state, which has already suffered enough at the hands of terrorists as well as its own rulers,” said Capt Amarinder.
“Notwithstanding the largest deployment of security forces in Punjab among the five states going to polls next month, it is clear from the MHA directive to the state police that the situation on the ground is extremely sensitive and volatile,” said Captain Amarinder while pointing at the series of incidents of desecration of religious texts over the past one year, and the recent acts of violence against Dalits as well as others, to underline the enormity of the issue.
He alleged the Badal government for striving to create communal and caste polarization by encouraging such incidents.
Capt Amarinder called upon people to be cautious against all disruptive and unruly elements and to promptly report any suspicious activity to the police as well as the Election Commission.
The EC, on its part, should crack down heavily on all armed gangs, of which an estimated 52 were on the loose in the state as per the last reports, said Capt Amarinder, urging the poll body to initiate immediate steps to bring the state under central rule to prevent outbreak of serious violence in the coming days.