Chandigarh, January 6
Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Partap Singh Bajwa, on Tuesday called for the immediate resignation of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, stating that the Aam Aadmi Party government must accept moral and constitutional responsibility for the disturbing deterioration of law and order in Punjab.
Bajwa pointed out that the state has been shaken by three brutal murders in just the last three days, incidents that reflect not ordinary crime but an atmosphere of organised crime. “Punjab is being pushed into fear and uncertainty. Criminal elements are acting with complete impunity while the government has failed to enforce the rule of law,” he said.
Detailing recent cases, Bajwa referred to the daylight killing of a former kabaddi player in Manuke. The assailants, he noted, went so far as to drive to the victim’s home and announce the murder to his family, asking them to collect the body — a level of brazenness that exposes the collapse of deterrence. In Amritsar, an AAP-affiliated sarpanch was shot dead inside a wedding ceremony, proving that even public gatherings are no longer safe. He also cited the murder of young Congress leader Umarseer Singh alias Sheera Bhinder in Bhinder Kalan village of Moga district, who had allegedly faced threats after playing an active role in defeating the AAP candidate in the Block Samiti polls.
“This is not routine violence — it is open terror. Gangsters feel fearless because the state has weakened institutions, allowed illegal weapons to circulate, and failed to inspire confidence in policing,” Bajwa asserted. He warned that Punjab is sliding towards gangland rule where organised crime and the drug-weapon nexus are flourishing unchecked.
The senior Congress leader said that the Mann government’s repeated claims of improvement now stand fully exposed. “The government has proven incapable of protecting Punjab’s citizens. Its failure is visible in daily bloodshed and the loss of innocent lives,” he said.
Bajwa maintained that accountability cannot be postponed any further. “Moral responsibility demands that CM Mann resign immediately for failing to safeguard the lives and security of the people of Punjab,” he added.
