The law and order situation in Punjab is under the scanner once again following two murders in broad daylight, including that of a Shiv Sena leader. With chief minister Bhagwant Mann facing flak over the sensational killings, the state government on Saturday made changes at the top level in the state police force.
One of the key transfers is that of Mansa senior superintendent of police Gaurav Toora, who had faced much criticism in the Sidhu Moose Wala murder case when one of the accused managed to escape with the help of a CIA incharge. The state government posted additional director general of police LK Yadav as the new director of the Bureau of Investigation and transferred seven SSPs, two range inspector generals of Jalandhar and Bathinda, besides the Ludhiana police commissioner.
After the rejig, ADGP Kuldeep Singh is the new head of the special task force for drugs while B Chandershekhar is new ADGP of prisons. Both the posts were vacant after ADGP Harpreet Singh Sidhu was appointed the incharge of Indo-Tibetan Border Police. The new police commissioner of Ludhiana is Mandeep Sidhu.
The state government also replaced law and order IG, and has brought in GS Dhillon. Toora’s transfer is one of the significant ones among the SSPs.
Despite the shake-up in the police administration, the opposition found a way to corner the Mann-led AAP government over a spate of targeted killings, which it claimed was vitiating the law and order in the state.
“Daily murders, daylight firing, Punjab 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,” tweeted former chief minister and now BJP leader Captain Amarinder Singh.
On Thursday, six men on motorcycles shot dead Dera Sacha Sauda follower Pardeep Singh in Faridkot district. He was an accused in the 2015 Bargari sacrilege cases and was currently out on bail. A security personnel provided to him by Punjab Police and a bystander also sustained bullet injuries. This took place just days after Shiv Sena leader Sudhir Suri was shot dead in Amritsar while he was sitting in a dharna.
Mann’s performance as CM has been closely scrutinised ever since the AAP stormed to power in Punjab in March. The spotlight was first trained on him and his government when popular Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala was shot dead after his security cover was withdrawn in May.
“Law & order in Punjab has virtually collapsed. CM Mann owes an explanation for how long people will have to live under the shadow of constant fear & insecurity as gangsters call the shots. Sidhu Moosewala’s parents, NRIs & now kinnow growers don’t want to stay in Punjab. Who’s next?” tweeted leader of opposition Partap Singh Bajwa.
“The AAP has made Punjab the terrorism capital of India,” said BJP leader Tarun Chugh.
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