In a scathing attack on the Punjab Police, state BJP president Sunil Jakhar on Sunday called it “gangsters in uniform”. He alleged that some police personnel have bowed to the AAP government and are helping in “undemocratic tasks”.
He also criticised the Bhagwant Mann government over the state’s deteriorating law and order situation. He said an atmosphere of fear is growing in Punjab, pointing to extortion threats and firing incidents.
He referred to AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal’s warning asking gangsters to leave Punjab within seven days or face action. Jakhar claimed that instead of leaving, gangsters have openly challenged this, committing crimes daily, while Kejriwal has not returned to the state since issuing the warning.
Addressing the media, Jakhar mentioned several recent incidents, including the killing of an RSS leader’s son in Ferozepur, two deaths after a shooting at a marriage palace in Ludhiana, and an attack on AAP leader Daljit Raju’s house in Phagwara.
He said that hardly a day passes without a shocking crime by gangsters in the state.
Jakhar pointed out that Punjab has 17 officers of DGP rank and 13 of ADGP rank, yet crime continues to rise. He compared this with Haryana, which has only one DGP.
"A disease, worse than gangsters prevalent in Punjab, is 'gangsters in uniform'. They engage in extortion. When the land pooling policy (of the AAP government) could not be successful, those in power deployed police for extortion activities," he alleged.
"I say this with full responsibility but with a sense of deep worry: police officers bowed before the ruling party," he further alleged, adding that these cops are now involved in “undemocratic tasks”, including helping AAP leaders rig elections and pressuring people for money.
He also raised the issue of an alleged audio clip in which the Patiala SSP and other senior officers were reportedly heard planning to stop opposition candidates from filing nominations for the upcoming Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti polls.
Jakhar said the police quickly called the audio AI-generated without any proper inquiry and instead issued summons to political leaders. He demanded an impartial investigation and urged all political parties and the media to come together against these issues.
The Punjab BJP leader also referred to the arrest of a deputy inspector general of police by the CBI in October. He said that if the BJP is given a chance in Punjab, such “extortionists within the police” will be strictly dealt with.
While he acknowledged that the Punjab Police is a capable force, he expressed concern that a few individuals in uniform are damaging its reputation.
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