Grim law & Order situation in border state of Punjab leaves people worried

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Grim law & Order situation in border state of Punjab leaves people worried

Opposition claims “jungle raaj” prevalent in Punjab under AAP regime

Chandigarh, February 10

With the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP Government in Punjab yet to complete its one year, the deteriorating law and order in the border state has become a serious cause of concern. Though, AAP Government has been embroiled in several controversies in a short span of just ten months but the naked dance of lawlessness with criminals and gangsters having a free run has not only given enough ammunition to the opposition parties to target the present dispensation, even the masses are strongly condemning the manner in which the law and order situation in the state is being handled.

Not only just the high-profile brutal murder of the renowned singer Sidhu Moose Wala and broad daylight murder of Shiv Sena leader Sudhir Suri rocked the state but the frequent incidents of ransom killings, murders, extortion and rape have left the people in a state of fear. Though the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and police administration including the DGP Gaurav Yadav have been repeatedly maintaining that law and order is under control but the situation on the ground speaks otherwise.

It is pertinent to mention here that within just first 21 days of first 21 days of AAP rule, Punjab witnessed 19 murders including death of two famous Kabbadi players (Sandeep Singh “Nangal Ambiyan” and Dharminder Singh) followed by RPG attack on Punjab intelligence headquarters, death of Police constable Mandeep Singh in a shoot out in Nakodar (District Jalandhar) and another RPG attack on a police station in District Tarn Taran in December, 2022.

While training his guns at the AAP Government, Leader of Opposition in Punjab Vidhan Sabha Partap Singh Bajwa reprimanded the Punjab Government. “AAP government needs to concede that the situation with law and order in the state had actually collapsed”, he said. Speaking in a similar vein, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said that there was total anarchy, lawlessness and “jungle raaj” in Punjab. While warning that the law and order situation was deteriorating in Punjab at an alarming rate, Warring said that the drastic increase in the crime has caused genuine fear and a sense of insecurity among the people.

As far as law and order is concerned all the opposition parties in the state are on the same page. SAD President and former Punjab Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal has asserted that no one was safe in the state. “The grim law and order situation could well be gauged from the fact that even industrialists and traders in Punjab were contemplating shifting from the State. If this state of affairs continues, no commerce will remain in Punjab”, he opined. Squarely blaming the CM Bhagwant Mann for the present crisis, Sukhbir said, “Mann was solely responsible for the situation, as he held the charge of the Home portfolio. He did not have any moral authority to remain in office.”

Targeting the AAP Government, the saffron party too has expressed its serious concern. According to Punjab BJP President Ashwani Sharma, the gangsters and criminals are having free run and heinous incidents of murder and rape are being reported. BJP National Spokesperson and a prominent Jat Sikh face of the saffron party Jaiveer Shergill pointed out that ever since AAP Government took reins of the state, a disturbing pattern of violent episodes is emerging which is unfortunately reminding of the ominous signs that the peace in one of the prosperous states is under threat. “The serious events of crime clearly show that the AAP regime has butter fingers when it comes to having a grip on the law and order situation of the State. The crime has escalated continuously because of the loose command control & misplaced priorities of the decision makers primarily the Chief Minister himself”, he said.

Apart from the political leaders, even the commoners are worried a lot. “The state government has failed to instill a sense of security among the people of Punjab. The CM is busy pleasing his political bosses sitting in Delhi and even using resources of Punjab for fulfilling the ambitions of the AAP National Convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal”, is what majority of the people in Punjab feel.

Amid all this, a big embarrassment for the Punjab government was the statement made by CM Bhagwant Mann wherein he had said that one of the main accused in Sidhu Moose Wala murder case – Canada based gangster Goldy Brar has been detained by FBI. Ironically, even after more than two months, there has been no official confirmation from Punjab police on Brar’s detention and taking a u-turn, now Chief Minister says, “The matter is a top secret”, for which he (Mann) again came under fire from opposition parties particularly SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia taking a jibe at CM’s irresponsible behaviour.

Meanwhile, given the present circumstance, one thing is very much clear that notwithstanding the government claims, the law and order in the state has indeed deteriorated and if things are not brought under control soon, it would be extremely detrimental for the peace of Punjab.