Embattled, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Sunday described as “intolerable” and “painful” the incident in Moga involving molestation of a teenaged girl and pushing her to death from a moving bus belonging to a company owned by his family. Badal, who met the victim’s family on late Sunday evening, condoled the demise of the young girl, and also expressed regret over the unfortunate incident. At the same time, he assured justice and full support to the family.
Victim’s family has been staging a sit-in ever since the incident took place four days back to demand case against the Badal family and cancellation of licence to Orbit bus service. “I came here as the father of Arshdeep Kaur. As the Chief Minister of the State and a father figure, I am personally responsible for safeguarding the honour of every daughter of Punjab. Wherever someone tries to outrage the honour of Punjab’s daughter, I will be given exemplary punishment under the strictest provisions of the law,” he said.
He said that justice would be done but “we would demonstrate forcefully that justice has been done”. Badal, replying to a query from the mediapersons about the culpability of the concerned bus company in whose bus the tragedy took place, said that “no one was beyond the arm of law”. “Whatever provisions of law extend to the culprit or to the bus company, these would be fully complied with. Only the rule of law would prevail, that is my personally guarantee and assurance to the people of Punjab especially the daughters of the State,” he said.
“This is intolerable. The death of a girl in such conditions is very painful to me...I am going to Moga (to meet the family of girl),” said Badal, while talking to reporters, in Patiala where he was paying homage to the mother of former Minister Ajaib Singh Mukhmailpur. Expressing deep sorrow over the death of teenage girl, he said that one could not compensate the loss of death. However, he refused to make any comment on the visit of opposition party leaders to Moga over the issue.
The State Government has been facing the ire from several quarters including AAP and Congress over the incident, particularly since no Cabinet Minister yet had gone to meet the family of victim at Moga. CM was with the family for about half an hour. He wanted to go to the village of the aggrieved family but as being contacted by girl’s father and other members of the family told him that they would not like the Opposition or political parties to politicise his visit. Badal said that he would soon visit the family in their village.