Law and order deteriorating in state, says Oppn
AMRITSAR/CHANDIGARH: Tearing into Bhagwant Mann-led state government over the murderous attack on an NRI in Amritsar, leaders of different political parties on Saturday alleged the law and order situation is deteriorating in Punjab.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal said attacks in Amritsar on two consecutive days shows the “deterioration” of the law and order situation in Punjab. “Punjabis are not safe even in their houses. Chief minister Bhagwant Mann should quit on moral grounds,” he said.
Two bikers barged into the house of NRI Sukhchain Singh at Daburji village in Amritsar and opened fire at him, leaving him critically injured on Saturday.
BJP leader and former US ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu said, “Fear of the law is vanishing in Punjab with shootings, ransom calls and robberies becoming the new normal. Our CM Bhagwant Mann, who used a bulletproof glass for his Independence Day speech, is busy campaigning in Haryana and touring Mumbai.”
BJP leader Preneet Kaur said such incidents show no one is safe in Punjab. “I appeal to Bhagwant Mann to pay attention to law and order in the state,” she said. Punjab Congress chief and Ludhiana MP Amarinder Singh Raja Warring accused the government of incompetence. Taking to X, he stated Punjab needs action, not statements.
AAP slams SAD, BJP over ‘politicisation’
Accusing the SAD and the BJP of politicising the issue, Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Punjab spokesperson Neel Garg said the family of the NRI alleged the attack was carried out by his ex-wife’s family, making it a personal issue rather than a political one. “CM Bhagwant Mann has directed the DGP to take strict action against the culprits,” he said.
Garg recalled that during the Badal government, an ASI was killed in Amritsar while protecting his daughter’s honour. He alleged that the molesters were affiliated with the Akali Dal. He also questioned the BJP’s silence on recent issues, such as firing at an MLA in Haryana and a Dalit man being tortured in Rae Bareli, UP, for seeking his wages.
“The National Crime Records Bureau’s (NCRB) data indicates that Punjab’s law and order situation is better compared to BJPruled and other neighboring states,” he said, adding that the Opposition’s goal is to defame the government.
Cabinet ministers Harbhajan Singh ETO and Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal visited the hospital to enquire about the health of the injured NRI. He is stable, according to doctors.