With the BJP taking tough stand on the State’s deteriorating law and order situation, following attack on a senior RSS leader, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Wednesday ruled out any differences on the issue between the alliance partners.
“The SAD-BJP is on the same page to ensure peace, communal harmony and brotherhood in the State as it is our top-most priority," Badal said while talking to media persons on the sidelines of his Sangat Darshan program in Hoshiarpur Assembly segment.
BJP and the RSS had condemned the murderous attack on RSS’s Punjab unit deputy chief Brig Jagdish Gagneja in Jalandhar, and met the Chief Minister and his deputy Sukhbir Badal demanding strict action against the culprits.
The two had also made it clear to the Chief Minister that such incidents would “not be tolerated”, while asking the State Government to take the attack “very seriously”.
Referring to an attack on the life of RSS's Punjab Deputy chief Brig Jagdish Gagneja, Badal asked the people to beware of such nefarious designs by anti-social elements with the sole motive to create panic and divide the people on sectarian lines.
He said that the State police was pro-actively working to nab the culprits so that the entire conspiracy could be exposed and the true picture be brought before the public.
Commenting on the electoral prospects of AAP, the CM said that its national convener Arvind Kejriwal was living in fool’s paradise because none could even remotely match “our popularity on the basis of development and welfare of all sections of the society”.
He said that the SAD-BJP alliance solely believed in development, where as both Congress and AAP were eying on capturing power to pursue their vested interests.
Badal said that Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh had been boasting of becoming Chief Minister during last Assembly polls but had to eventually lick the dust since his party neither had any vision nor agenda for the development of the State.
He categorically said that the day was not very far of when both the AAP and Congress would be wiped out from State’s electoral scene.
Replying to query related to spurt in the incidents of gang wars in the State, Badal said that the State Government was fully sensitised to this problem and strict action was being taken against such criminal elements.
He said that it was the sincere endeavor of the State Government to ensure security of life and property of the people at all costs. "Punjab’s state is far better in maintaining law and order situation in comparison to rest of States in the country as the crime rate here is the lowest so far," he added.
Responding to the issue raised by local residents to take strict action against the wine contractors running illegal liquor vends, the CM directed the SSP Hoshiarpur to immediately nab such contractors and ordered their licenses be cancelled forthwith.