Patiala: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Sunday said no one in Punjab was safe under the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) rule. He appealed to people to vote for the SAD in the municipal elections to bring the state back on track.Addressing a public meeting in Samana, Sukhbir said, “Today, an assistant sub-inspector was shot and killed while proceeding on duty at Majitha. If criminal elements have been emboldened so much that even police personnel are not safe, then what will happen to the common man?”Sukhbir was accompanied by SAD halka in charge Jagmeet Singh Haryau.The Akali Dal chief said the increased drug menace made life hell for the people, with robberies and snatching incidents increasing manifold. There seems to be a complete breakdown in constitutional machinery, with the state slipping into anarchy, he added.Citing the clash between rival inmates at the Modern Jail in Kapurthala, Sukhbir said, “Gang warfare, which is witnessed every day in Punjab, is now also being seen in high security jails.”He said chief minister Bhagwant Mann was directly responsible for the situation and did not have any moral right to continue in office. Punjab is paying a heavy price for the lawlessness, with trade and industry fleeing the state, Sukhbir added.Later, answering a media query, Sukhbir said the AAP came to power riding on the plank of anti-corruption, and the institution of Lokpal was the cornerstone of its policy. “However, it failed to establish a strong Lokpal in Punjab, and now the post is lying vacant.”He said that with more than 150 complaints pending with the Lokpal, a vacuum existed in the state’s anti-corruption framework.When asked about AAP leaders openly announcing to rig the MC elections, Sukhbir demanded strict action against of them.He further stated that all corrupt leaders and ministers, including Aman Arora, were being probed by central agencies and would be in jail soon.MSID:: 131293944 413 |
