Opposition parties in Punjab hit out at the AAP government on Thursday over the killing of a Dera follower saying that the state has become the “terror capital” of the country with a reign of “anarchy.” Pardeep Singh, a Dera Sacha Sauda follower, who was an accused in the 2015 sacrilege cases, was shot dead on Thursday by six unidentified assailants in Punjab’s Faridkot district, police said.
Pardeep was shot in his dairy shop around 7.15 am in Kotkapura in Faridkot.
His killing came on the heels of the November 4 murder of Shiv Sena (Taksali) leader Sudhir Suri in Amritsar. Both had police protection.
Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring expressed concern over the “alarmingly deteriorating” law and order situation in the state, alleging that the Aam Aadmi Party government had “completely abdicated its authority.” “As the AAP government remains completely clueless, there is total anarchy prevailing in Punjab”, Warring said in a statement.
“People have started taking law into their own hands which is a dangerous signal for the state,” he said, adding this was the second “targeted killing” in Punjab within less than a week.
“No killing is justified and nobody should be allowed to take law into his own hands,” he said.
He appealed to people to maintain peace saying violence was no solution to any problem.
Warring also reminded AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal of his promise of doing justice in the sacrilege cases within 24 hours of forming the government.
“As people are feeling betrayed, let down and frustrated, the consequences are before us like what happened in Kotkapura today which does not bode well for the state,” he said.
“We have already borne the pain and agony and lost precious lives and cannot let that happen again,” Warring said, even as he accused the AAP government of “mishandling” the situation.
BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh alleged that Punjab has become a “terror capital” of the country where “gun culture is booming and police has become a mute witness.” He said the law and order machinery had “completely collapsed” in the state.
“Murders and killings are happening every other day and criminals are not being apprehended at all,” he alleged in a statement.
Chugh said police stand “paralysed” and there is an “atmosphere of fear and terror” in the state.
Former Punjab chief minister and BJP leader Captain Amarinder Singh alleged that the state is “heading towards total lawlessness.”
“Daily murders, Daylight Firing, Pb is sadly heading towards total lawlessness & the inexperienced @BhagwantMann led govt has been able to do nothing to stop all this. I strongly urge him to start focusing on law & order of state before we transcend towards the dark era of the 80s,” Singh tweeted.
Senior BJP leader Sunil Jakhar accused the Bhagwant Mann government of “abandoning the state altogether and plunging law and order situation to a worrisome level.” “Punjab is burning, while Nero is fiddling in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh,” Jakhar said.
He also said that Mann, who also holds the charge of CM as well as the state Home Minister, has been in denial mode despite daily incidents of target killings happening.
Punjab BJP general secretary Subhash Sharma said the state government is in a “deep slumber.” “One more murder… Every day incidents of violence are happening in Punjab… Bhagwant Mannji, understand your constitutional duty and turn your attention towards Punjab,” he said.
Mann said no one will be allowed to disturb peace in the state.
“Punjab is a peace-loving state where mutual brotherhood of people is very strong,” he said in a tweet.
“No one will be allowed to disturb the peace of Punjab. Strict instructions (have been given) to the civil and police officials to maintain the peace and tranquillity in the state,” he said.