AAP govt. faces heat over Punjab’s law and order; Minister holds previous regimes accountable for gangsters ‘having free run’

Punjab’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government is facing intense criticism from the opposition parties over a perceived law-and-order collapse following a spate of criminal offences in recent days in different parts of the State.

A day after AAP leader and village sarpanch Jharmal Singh was allegedly shot dead at a wedding venue in Amritsar, the opposition parties, including the Congress, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), have trained guns at the AAP government over the deteriorating law and order situation in the State.

The incident has sparked comparisons to the December 15, 20025, shooting death of ‘Kabaddi’ athlete and organiser Kanwar Digvijay Singh, alternatively called Rana Balachauria, who was fatally shot in Mohali while attending a tournament.

SAD leader and Lok Sabha MP from Harsimrat Kaur said “Bhagwant Mann had failed as both the Chief Minister and Home Minister and had no right to continue in office.”

She alleged that there was a complete collapse of the law and order situation in the State. “Gangsters are having a free run and are indulging in extortions and killings at will. Every day, there are sensational incidents like the recent daylight murder of a village Sarpanch in Amritsar, the murder of a NRI woman in Kapurthala and a Panchayat member in Moga,” she said, speaking to media persons in Bathinda.

BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh urged all political parties to come forward to protect the border State of Punjab from the dangerous designs of anti-national forces and criminal networks, which he alleged were flourishing under the AAP regime.

“The situation is extremely alarming.. The AAP government has completely failed in its responsibility to ensure public safety and good governance. Punjab’s governance has totally collapsed, both economically and administratively. The situation has deteriorated to such an extent that youth, traders, industrialists, women, and even farmers feel unsafe and terrorised in their own state,” he said in a statement.

Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said “Police seem to have ceased to exist in Punjab,” referring to the targeted killings by the criminal gangs. He added that people of Punjab have lost all hopes from the government and the police.

Meanwhile, Cabinet Minister and AAP State president Aman Arora said strict instructions have already been issued to the Punjab Police. “Anyone who tries to play with law and order, anyone involved in this crime, will find no forgiveness. The police are actively and effectively on the job and they will face strict action very soon.”

Holding past regimes accountable for the “gangsterism” in the State, Mr. Arora traced the roots of the current crisis to the misrule and patronage of previous governments over the last 10-15 years. “This pestilence was nurtured and allowed to spread over the last few decades. The political patronage of that era is directly responsible for this metastasis growing to such proportions,” he alleged.

“No one in our government or party provides patronage to gangsters, drug peddlers, or criminals,” he added.