Chandigarh, September 22
Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring on Tuesday said that the advisory to police personnel on uniform has vindicated the Congress’ concerns that even the policemen are not safe in Punjab. Reacting to the Punjab government’s denial of the advisory asking police personnel to avoid wearing uniforms while commuting, Warring said, the issue was not merely about the authenticity of the document but about the security concerns being faced by the police force.
“While I don’t believe that the advisory note is fake as claimed by the government, the issue is not about the genuineness of the document, but the harsh fact concerning the security of the policemen”, he said, pointing out how policemen are being targeted and killed without any fear of law in Punjab. He said that the letter and voice communication, in circulation, referred to security concerns involving police personnel and asked what was wrong about drawing attention to them.
Warring further argued that the document itself referred to police personnel being targeted. “You are saying they are not. I am saying they are, and the police personnel themselves are acknowledging it that they are being targeted,” he said. The PCC president cited a series of recent attacks involving Punjab Police personnel and police establishments. He said hand grenades had been used against police stations and police posts and that policemen had been attacked.
Referring to the recent killing of an Assistant Sub-Inspector in Amritsar, Warring said the incident was proof of the security challenges facing the force. The killing of ASI Harjit Singh has added to such concerns, he said. “The government should accept one thing: the situation in Punjab is bad”, he said, while holding the AAP government responsible for the collapse of law and order in the state.
Praising the Punjab Police, he said, it has been a highly disciplined and a brave force which brought an end to Punjab’s dark period. “But unfortunately the current government in Punjab lacks the political will to face the challenges confronting the state, particularly on the law and order front”, he added.