New Delhi, 26 October (H.S.): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab of shielding criminals instead of taking action against them. The party alleged that incidents of murder, drug-related crime and suicide continued to be reported in the state, leaving residents increasingly concerned about their safety.

Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters, the party’s national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia alleged that Punjab was witnessing a situation akin to “goondaraj” and “jungle raj”. He referred to the daylight killing of two young men in Moga and questioned Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s silence over the incident.

Bhatia said armed assailants arrived in a black Scorpio SUV bearing no number plate and opened fire indiscriminately at the two young men. Both victims died in the shooting, while several other people were injured. He alleged that criminals in the state had become increasingly emboldened, carrying out shootings and killings in broad daylight.

The BJP spokesperson said the repeated incidents of crime in Punjab raised serious questions about the state’s law-and-order situation. He sought clarification on whether an FIR had been registered in connection with the Moga incident, the provisions under which the case had been filed, and the number of suspects arrested so far. He also asked what steps the Chief Minister had taken in response to the killings.

Bhatia alleged that when it came to ensuring public safety and taking action against criminals, Mann avoided providing answers. Taking a swipe at the Chief Minister, he claimed that Mann had time for foreign trips and expensive foreign goods but was unavailable to respond to killings taking place in the state.

Targeting the AAP government, Bhatia said incidents involving murder, drugs and suicide continued to surface in Punjab. He maintained that public safety should be the government’s foremost priority, but alleged that people affected by the prevailing situation were being left feeling helpless.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar