As many as 7,138 people were kidnapped in the past four years and three months of the Congress Government in Punjab. And in most of the cases, ransom was also demanded in return for their safe release, according to the latest official figures till June 30, 2021.
Taking note, the Aam Aadmi Party on Sunday blamed the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh for the same, asking him to leave the Home portfolio and hand it over to some other “competent Minister with immediate effect”.
“Law and order in Punjab has become uncontrollable. There is an atmosphere of fear among the people during the tenure of the Congress Government and not only businessmen and celebrities, the general public is also not safe. The testimony of which is given by the official figures themselves, according to which 7,138 people were kidnapped in the last 4 years 3 months of the Congress government and ransom was demanded in return for releasing them safely,” said AAP’s senior leader and the Leader of Opposition Harpal Singh Cheema.
“All these cases are those which are recorded in the government records. But the victims, who did not even reach the police stations to save their lives from the kidnappers, are not counted,” he added.
Cheema said that incidents like kidnapping, which once used to happen in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, are at its peak in Punjab today. “No one else but the Chief Minister of the state, Capt Amarinder Singh is responsible for this who has the Home Department of Punjab,” he said.
AAP leader said that Capt Amarinder has the responsibility and accountability for the law and order situation that has gone from bad to worse. “Therefore, he should leave the Home Department and hand it over to some other competent Minister with immediate effect,” he said.
Cheema said that the industrial area of Ludhiana has the highest number of cases of kidnapping and ransom. A total of 1,032 incidents have been executed here during the tenure of Capt Amarinder, he said.
He added that Amritsar is second with 765 incidents and Jalandhar is third with 619 incidents. “Even the Chief Minister's hometown district Patiala is at number five with 470 kidnapping cases,” he said adding that the Chief Minister has his own royal farm house in Mohali district and 570 incidents have taken place here too.
“Of these, the maximum number of 122 incidents have taken place in the 2021 itself. In such a situation, the Chief Minister and the DGP of Punjab have no right to continue in their chair,” they said.
AAP leader said that Punjab has become a crime hub due to the nexus of the ruling party leaders, administrative and police officials with the criminals.
“Due to unaccounted political interference in the work of police and administration, common people are not getting justice. When the police stations are running on contract, how can one expect security and justice,” he said.
Cheema said that the increased crime is directly affecting the economic development of Punjab because the investors are not getting a safe and comfortable environment. As a result, Punjab is continuously lagging behind in the industrial sector, he added.