Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Chandigarh, People’s Party of Punjab chief Manpreet Singh Badal today flayed the Parkash Singh Badal government for increasing lawlessness in the state in general and the incidents involving the political leaders from the ruling alliance in particular with the Gurdaspur case being the latest.
In a statement, Manpreet said that the District Development and Panchayat Officer, Gurdaspur, Jagwinderjit Singh Sandhu was threatened by former minister Sucha Singh Langah on December 13 leading to lightning strike by officials of the department all over the district. The issue was the auction of panchayat land in the Kalanaur block in Gurdsapur district and the officials refused to favour Langah’s loyalists. Langah threatened and abused which amounted to naked goondaism by the Akali leader. He said with the officer concerned lodging a formal complaint, the matter had now come on record.
He said yet another case was that of repeated attacks on Vaneet Mahajan, the Amritsar lawyer who had complained against Local Bodies Minister from the BJP Anil Joshi for having a double vote.
Manpreet said the situation had deteriorated to such an extent that a woman Akali sarpanch in Muktsar district yesterday slapped a dalit leader of her own party at a meeting in full public view.
he said this lawlessness was having impact at every level, includuing in general crime. He referred to the increase in number of rapes from 680 in 2012 to 919 in 2014 and kidnappings from 689 to 990 over the same period.
He said at the political level, it was the Chief Minister who was accountable as to whatever was happening in the state, especially the goondaism by the Akali Dal-BJP leaders who had been given unbridled powers under the system of halqa in-charges and nothing moved in the civil and the police administration without a nod from them.
He said the Gurdaspur case involving Langah was an evidence as to how the ruling party leaders were looting the state.
Referring to the rise in general crime rate, he said it was Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal who was also looking after the Home portfolio and as such, was directly responsible for whatever was happening in the state. The problem was that the chain of command had been broken and the district police chief could not transfer even an SHO. The situation was heading towards total anarchy.
