Chandigarh, September 13
The Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, Partap Singh Bajwa, on Sunday launched a blistering attack on CM Bhagwant Mann, who also holds the Home portfolio, over the deteriorating law and order situation in Punjab following the gunshot incident at the residence of Punjabi singer Gulab Sidhu in Pharwahi village of Barnala.
Bajwa accused the Mann government of surrendering Punjab’s streets to criminals and allowing the state to “descend into anarchy”. He said the latest attack was yet another grim reminder of the government’s catastrophic failure to protect the lives and property of its citizens.
“The gunshot incident at Gulab Sidhu’s residence is not an isolated incident. It is a frightening reflection of the complete collapse of law and order under the AAP government. Punjab’s singers, actors, kabaddi players, politicians and businessmen have either been killed or subjected to serious threats during the past four-and-a-half years. When even police stations are not safe from attacks, how can ordinary citizens expect protection?” Bajwa questioned.
Bajwa said the Mann government had repeatedly made tall claims about curbing organised crime, but had failed to deliver a credible roadmap to dismantle gangster networks operating across Punjab. He alleged that criminals were becoming increasingly emboldened while law-abiding citizens and local business owners were being forced to live under constant fear.
“Instead of launching a decisive war against gangism, the Mann government inducted a former gangster into the Aam Aadmi Party—and he does not even hesitate to boast about it. Is this the model through which Bhagwant Mann intends to rein in organised crime? The government’s actions raise serious questions about its commitment to public safety,” Bajwa said.
The Congress leader accused the Chief Minister of treating Punjab’s worsening security crisis as a political inconvenience rather than an urgent constitutional responsibility. He said the government’s failure to act decisively had eroded public confidence in the police and emboldened criminal elements.
“If Bhagwant Mann believes he can escape accountability after pushing Punjab into lawlessness, he is living in a fool’s paradise. The people of Punjab are watching this government’s failures closely. They have already made up their minds and will teach the AAP a fitting lesson in the upcoming Assembly elections,” Bajwa added.