In the wake of “daily incidents of gang-rape and murder” from every nook and corner of Punjab, the Congress unit on Sunday demanded immediate resignation of State Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal as the State’s Home Minister for the total collapse of law and order machinery.
The party has also demanded immediate de-politicisation of the State Police force.
Congress has also questioned the stoic silence of ‘Nanhi-Chaan’ protagonist Harsimrat Badal, the Union Minister, over the spate of rapes.
“Bihar which was once known as a rouge State with brazen criminal activities such as gang rapes, abductions, kidnappings and murder, seems to have been replaced by Punjab in terms of lawlessness, anarchy and jungle-raj,” said Congress leader Sukhpal Khaira.
He referred to the two “gory” incidents of abduction, gang-rape and murder of young girls during the last couple of days. “While a young girl from Jharkhand was found gang-raped after being abducted in Gumanpura village in Amritsar on Saturday, a similar incident occurred in Shimlapuri of ludhiana two days back, where a schoolgirl was abducted, gang-raped and murdered by a group of gangsters. Another gruesome gang-rape and burning of a young girl had also been reported from Dhandari Kalan in ludhiana a few months back,” he said.
Khaira said that the main reason for such “blatant, brazen and naked” violations of law are taking place because the Badals have virtually politicised the police force from top to bottom and are using it as a private army, to settle scores with their opponents rather than focusing on maintenance of law and order in Punjab.
“Punjab Police otherwise is considered to be a brave force that tackled militancy by sacrificing their lives, has been turned into a private militia by the Badal clan and their hands are tied by their political masters, that is Jathedar’s etc,” he said.
Taking on his political rival and Bholath MlA Bibi Jagir Kaur, he said that the “wrongful and immoral appointment of a convicted criminal” like her as president of Istri Akali Dal, has further added to the woes of crime against women.