Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Chandigarh, The Punjab Pradesh Congress President, Mr Partap Singh Bajwa, today demanded stern action against the RSS activists who took out armed procession in Jaito in Faridkot district as part of the Dussehra festivities and described it as a dangerous trend in this sensitive border state having the potential to disturb peace.
In a statement, Mr Bajwa said it was perhaps for the first time after the Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale era that any organisation in Punjab had taken out procession brandishing revolvers. He pointed out a similar situation in 1978 had proved to be the spark that lit fire which engulfed the entire state. He wanted to know whether the government had given the permission for that and in case it was given, action should be taken against the officials of the district administration. He wanted to know was there any clause in the CrPC under which permission can be given to any organisation to take out a procession brandishing revolvers. In case no such permission was granted, then case must be registered against those who staged this armed parch.
“Punjab went through the worst phase of violence in which thousands of lives were lost. It was the Congress government which restored peace after more than a decade long violence and thousands sacrificed their lives in this fight against terrorism. The Congress would not allow the peace to be disturbed against”, he asserted.
The PPCC chief said the RSS had increased its activities in Punjab during the last some months and its chief Mr Mohan Bhagwat had paid several visits to this state. The intentions were now increasingly becoming clear. He expressed the apprehension that the armed procession by the saffron brigade could prove to be a grave provocation as going by the recent arrests made by the police, terrorists were once again trying to stage a comeback.
He questioned the Chief Minister, Mr. Parkash Singh Badal, as to why his government was allowing such highly provocative activities in the state. “Your problem is that you too have been playing the politics of opportunism and went to the extent of demanding Khalistan. You just can’t run with the hare and hound with the fox. The situation demands strong deterrent”, he said.
He made it clear that the Congress had fought against such dangerous trends and would continue to confront such tendencies, whatever might be the cost.
Badal is trying to divert the attention of people on total fiscal mess and collapse of law and order in the state he said.
