Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal, on Wednesday, alleged that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had miserably failed in maintaining law and order in Punjab as a home minister and hence should be dismissed immediately. He said the CM could not provide even basic security to the people of the state.

The SAD chief said, “It seems the law of the jungle has descended on Punjab. No one is safe. Be it the gruesome murder of youth icon Sidhu Moosewala to the RPG attack on the Punjab Police intelligence headquarter to Hindu-Sikh clashes and murder of police officers and the latest incident of looting of a Punjab Roadways bus in broad daylight, the breakdown of the law and order situation seems irretrievable”.

He pointed out that Punjab being a border state its security could not be compromised. “We have an inimical neighbour who is likely to take advantage of this situation to destabilise the state even further unless urgent steps are taken to stem this rot,” the SAD chief added.

Badal said a fear psychosis had developed in the minds of the people who feel unsafe due to the rein of gangsters who were not only running extortion rackets but were also indulging in targeted killings. “This situation has led to an increase in petty crime as well as day-light dacoities and rampant murders,” he added.

The SAD president said all this was happening due to the complete breakdown in the command structure of the Punjab Police. “The police force is reporting directly to Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal who has taken control of the posting and transfer of both civil and police officials in Punjab”.

Asserting that this had compromised the position of the state chief minister, Badal requested Mann to reassert his will and lead the state instead of being led from Delhi.  He said the chief minister should take regular meetings with senior police officers besides monitoring the law and order situation on a day-to-day basis.

Badal also expressed anguish over the failure of the CM to run the home ministry himself which he said had led to the death of singer Sidhu Moosewala. He said the security cover of Moosewala as well as several other VIPs were removed without taking into account their threat perception.

“This lapse was compounded by the chief minister gloating about his ‘achievement’ on the AAP’s social media portal,” he contended.