Punjab’s former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and SAD president Sukhbir Badal on Friday described as “broad daylight murder of democracy” the Punjab Government’s decision to ban the proposed peaceful Pol Khol rally at Faridkot scheduled for September 16.
“It is a brazen and cowardly abdication of constitutional responsibility by the state government whose primary duty is to ensure that no one is allowed to sabotage and disrupt peaceful expression of democratic aspirations of the people and to ensure and safeguard normal democratic activity in the state,” said senior Badal.
He said that the Government has virtually admitted today that the constitutional machinery in Punjab has broken down so much that it cannot even ensure a peaceful democratic rally by a mainstream political party.
“The decision is reminiscent of the emergency days of repression and dictatorship,” he said.
Badal said that it seems the anti-national elements who are the enemies of peace and communal harmony in the state are hell bent upon disrupting the peace and communal harmony of the state. “These elements are setting the agenda for Captain Amarinder Singh to follow and he is obliging them by obeying their diktat. This clearly proves the collusion between the Congress and these elements bent upon setting Punjab on fire again,” he said.
The Badals said that the Congress used the “fake and fabricated” report of the “biased” Justice Ranjit Singh Commission to try and defame the SAD and its leadership. “Congress leaders had threatened that SAD leadership will not be allowed to enter the villages. But the massive response to the SAD-BJP dharnas and Abohar rally has unnerved the Congress,” they said.
“With today’s action, it will become clear to the people how the Congress supporting elements opposed to peace and communal harmony in the state. The entire campaign against the SAD is planned, funded, sponsored and executed by the Congress,” they alleged.
Coming down heavily against the harsh and repressive measure, Badal said: “Suddenly, an incompetent and biased government has brought the memories of the 1980s back when the Akali morchas routinely faced such dictatorial and draconian measures.”
DISMISS CONG GOVT
Demanding immediate dismissal of the Congress-led Punjab Government due to “complete collapse in law and order situation following its abject surrender to radical extremist forces”, SAD on Friday said that it was tantamount to imposing a second emergency in Punjab.
“Congress government has proved that it is incapable of maintaining law and order by refusing to give permission for holding of a peaceful rally at Faridkot scheduled for September 16. The government has submitted in writing that this permission was not being given because of pressure from radical groups who were sitting in dharna around 35 kilometres away,” said SAD senior leader Daljit Singh Cheema.
Asserting that no government deserved to remain in power if it was incapable of maintaining rule of law, Cheema said that the government should be dismissed forthwith. “Arbitrary ban on holding democratic protests, which is a right given to each citizen as per the constitution, is intolerable,” he said.
Cheema said that the SAD has filed a writ petition in this regard in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. “The petition, which is filed by former Advocate General Ashok Aggarwal, has urged for quashing of the State Government’s order refusing permission to the SAD to hold a rally at Faridkot on September 16. The petition been listed for hearing tomorrow,” he said.