Virtually looking years ahead, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Badal on Monday asked the Punjab Police to stop harassing and threatening Akali workers and leaders while threatening of holding them personally responsible for becoming a vendetta tool of the Congress party once it returned to power in the state.
“A number of cases have come to light wherein it has been revealed that the Vigilance Department is being misused to target Akalis by registering false cases against them. This is being done as a part of vendetta against particular workers and leaders as well as a general drive to browbeat Akali workers and force them to support the Congress party,” said Sukhbir.
He said that any police officer, who became a willing tool in the hands of the Congress party in its bid to victimize Akalis, would be held accountable for his misdeeds when the SAD-BJP alliance is returned to power in the State.
“We will take all necessary steps not only to identify and cancel all false cases but also take the strictest action against police officers who registered these in the first place. This is the only way to end victimization of innocents and we will not be found wanting in applying this balm to heal the wounds of the wronged,” he added.
The former Deputy Chief Minister said that the police officers, on their part, should understand that the difference between criminals and them ended once they started resorting to registration of criminal cases.
“Registering a false case, be it on any pretext, is akin to participating in a criminal activity. Anyone doing so should desist and take corrective action to give relief to innocents immediately or be ready to face the music once the SAD-BJP government is returned to power,” he said.
Enjoining all police officers to do their duty as per the law, Sukhbir said: “Be guided by the law and not by any other extraneous reason, particularly a false sense of loyalty to the ruling dispensation which will not be there to help you once people exercise their franchise and elect a new government in Punjab.”