(Bikram Majithia says national security compromised even as State capital was moving out due to huge influx of weapons, daily killings and extortions)
(Welcomes SC ruling on Rajiv killers, says there cannot be two laws for cases pertaining to Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, says all Bandi Singhs including Bhai Rajoana should be released)
Chandigarh – The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today demanded chief minister Bhagwant Mann, who also holds the Home portfolio, accept responsibility for the collapse of the law and order situation in Punjab and resign from his post immediately.
Addressing a press conference here, senior leader Bikram Singh Majithia said “never in the history of the State has law and order descended to this level as under this Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government. It seems the law of jungle is prevailing in Punjab with targeted killings and extortions becoming the norm and gangsters being allowed a free reign. Since the chief minister is directly responsible for this state of affairs he should own responsibility and step down”.
Bikram Majithia said there were extremely dangerous implications to the ongoing breakdown in the law and order situation. “A sharp increase in smuggling of weapons into the State has compromised national security. Daily killings and the new culture of extortions whereby no businessman is safe, is resulting in fleeing of capital from Punjab to other States. No investment is coming in and with home investors also choosing to move out we are staring at an economic collapse as well as a burgeoning unemployment crisis”.
Asserting that the chief minister was oblivious to the situation, Majithia said it was shocking that Mann praised Chandigarh Police at a function today and asserted that it was corruption free which itself was an indictment of the Punjab Police and its functioning. “The chief minister should introspect to understand why things have taken such a turn and stop indulging in dance shows in Gujarat and instead concentrate on setting things right in Punjab. Only peace and communal harmony can bring development and progress and since both are missing in Punjab today there is a real threat of the State slipping back to the erstwhile era of darkness”.
Meanwhile Majithia while welcoming the Supreme Court order freeing former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s killers said “there cannot be double standards and all Sikh detainees who were languishing in jail even after completion of their jail sentences, should be released”. He said the death sentence of Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana, which had earlier been commuted to life in 2019 during the 550th Parkash Purb celebrations, should be implemented in letter and spirit and he should also be freed from prison.
Majithia also pointed out that the law should be the same for everyone. “Right now the Sikh community has been given a message that the law is different in cases pertaining to Tamil Nadu which witnessed the release of Rajiv killers and Gujarat where those who raped and murdered Bilkis Bano were released after serving only fourteen years in prison”. He said if this trend continued regional divisions would increase which was not good for the country.
The Akali leader also highlighted that in the case of Bhai Rajoana the latter’s human rights were also being violated. “Bhai ji has been incarcerated for 27 years without parole and despite certificates of good conduct and a clemency plea having been filed to secure his release no decision is being taken on the issue”. He said the central government should not put obstacles in the way of Bhai Rajoana’s release and demanded that the latter as well as all other Bandi Singhs should also be released immediately.
