Mansa (Punjab) [India], October 29 : Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring on Wednesday warned against the state slipping and sliding into anarchy and lawlessness, with everyday incidents of ransom killings reported from all over the state.
He said, "There was an atmosphere of fear, worse than the one during the terrorism days, prevailing in Punjab as criminals and gangsters were moving scot-free with no fear of law."
Talking to reporters over Mansa Bandh, he called to protest against the incidents of firing by unidentified gunmen at a shopkeeper. Warring said, "There is a complete collapse of law and order in the state, as the government and the police have abandoned their responsibilities."
He further revealed that thousands of people across Punjab have been quietly paying ransom money to the criminals and gangsters, as they have no confidence in the police that they can protect them. He quoted the incident of the killing of an Abohar garment trader who was killed for ransom despite having already paid ransom money to many others before that.
Warring noted that the criminals and gangsters are encouraged since the murder of famous singer Sidhu Moose Wala, as the mastermind behind his murder was being provided protection. He pointed out that the Gujarat government has issued orders stating that he cannot even be taken into custody on a production warrant.
Warning against the growing influence of the criminals and gangsters, he disclosed, "For the Tarn Taran by-election, the Shiromani Akali Dal had fielded a relative of a gangster." He said that the particular candidate makes people speak to the gangster, who obviously tries to intimidate them.
He said, "The atmosphere of fear and terror was prevailing across the state." Quoting a conversation with a roadside vendor in Tarn Taran, Warring said, even he was feeling scared to come out of his home during the evening hours.
The senior Congress leader added, "It was reminiscent of the terrorism days, when people would rush back to their homes before dark."
He warned that Punjab was sliding towards that situation if serious and firm steps were not taken right away. He said that if the Punjab government had the will, the crime and gangster culture could be eliminated within a month.
Calling for the security of the family of the shopkeeper who was fired upon, Warring warned, "It will be the responsibility of the Chief Minister, the Director General of the Punjab Police and the Senior Superintendent of Police, Mansa, and they will be held accountable if anything untoward happens to them."
Speaking on the occasion, Hardev Arshi, former MLA, urged all the political parties to rise above their partisan interests and come together to save Punjab from sliding into anarchy and lawlessness.
He urged the Chief Minister not to rely on the Punjab Police for feedback on law and order in the state. He also suggested calling an all-party meeting to gather grassroots feedback on the ground situation in Punjab.
Warring was accompanied by senior Congress leaders, including Balkaur Singh, father of the late singer Sidhu Moose Wala.