Total collapse of governance, law and order in Punjab: Sukhbir
Chandigarh Dec 16 – Shiromani Akali Dal President Sardar Sukhbir Singh Badal will undertake a confidence building tour of all districts in Punjab to instill a sense of security among people following what he described as “jungle Raj and total collapse of law and order in the state.”
A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the party’s core committee at the party Headquarters here this evening.
Mr Badal who presided over the meeting shared the view expressed by members about the prevailing fear psychosis in the state. “There is no such thing as govt here as Punjab has become a headless state. The AAP govt especially CM Bhagwant Mann have abdicated their moral and constitutional responsibility to ensure peace and communal harmony. The state has been handed over to Gangs and goons, with ministers reduced to performing ceremonial rituals at public functions. The police and the bureaucracy are in a state of drift,” Mr Badal told the meeting.
He said that although all Punjabis are feeling insecure about life and property, the urban population is the worst affected living under the fear of midnight knocks for extortion and ransom. “This is not the Punjab bequeathed to the succeeding govts by SAD govt under S Parkash Singh Badal sho always kept peace and communal harmony at the centre of his approach to governance.
Later briefing media persons, senior Akali leader Dr Daljit Singh Cheema said that the meeting began by paying rich tributes to the martyrdom of the great Sahibzadas and of other fearless warriors in history.
The meeting also condoled the sad demise of “one of the tallest Akali stalwarts”, Sardar Ranjit Singh Brahampura and S. Dalip Singh, father of S. Harbhajan Singh Masana (Haryana). A two-minute silence was observed as a mark of respect to the departed souls.
He said that a nexus between “govt and land-sharks” was behind the displacement of countless innocent families thrown out of the houses at Lateefpura in Jalandhar, in which they had been living for decades and which they had built with their sweat and toil
“Even if there was a legal issue involved, the govt displayed brutal insensitivity in handling the situation throwing women children and elderly out on the road in shivering cold. “The govt could easily have either allotted these houses to the occupants by charging some reasonable price or provided them with some alternatives shelter before evicting them in such cold blood “
On controversies surrounding disruption of religious maryada at Sikh religious shrines notably in Jalandhar, Dr Cheema said that this was a serious matter and the Dharam Prachar committee of the SGPC was deliberating it in Ropar today.
Dr Cheema also blasted the National Commission Chairman S Iqbal Singh Lalpura for his silence on the denial of scholarship to students from the minority communities.
The meeting was presided over by Sardar Sukhbir Singh Badal Others present included S.Balwinder Singh Bhundar, S.Paramjit Singh Sarna, S.Maheshinder Singh Grewal, Dr.Daljit Singh Cheema, S.Bikram Singh Majithia, S.Iqbal Singh Jhunda,S.Sikander Singh Maluka, S.Virsa Singh Valtoha, S. Sharanjit Singh Dhillon, S. Surjit Singh Rakhra, S. Hira Singh Gabria, S. Gurbachan Singh Babehali, S. Lakhbir Singh lodhinangal, Anil Joshi, NK Sharma, S.Gurpartap Singh Wadala, Dr Sukhwinder Sukhi and Bibi Sunita Chaudhary. EOM