Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh, on Saturday, warned against the return of the dark era of 1980s in Punjab, saying that the way things were unfolding in the state today, reminded one of those days (1980s) and it was quite worrisome.

Captain Amarinder, who joined the BJP recently, also condemned the complete failure on the part of the Aam Aadmi Party government in the state which has not taken any action so far even after 24 hours of murder of the Shiv Sena leader Sudhir Suri in Amritsar on Friday.

The former CM said that he was more concerned because the AAP government had neither shown any inclination nor any capability to handle such an alarming situation.

“Once you let your weakness and shortcomings known, anti-national forces are bound to take advantage of that and that is what is precisely happening in Punjab now,” he said, while referring to increased activities of anti-national forces in Punjab after the AAP took over.

“I am reminded of 1980s when situation started drifting and deteriorating into terrorism and we had to pay such a huge price,” Captain Amarinder warned, while cautioning the AAP government against any laxity and inaction.

“What to speak of taking any action, nobody from the AAP has even condemned the brutal murder of the Shiv Sena leader so far,” he pointed out.

He expressed his shock as how could someone, who was under high security, be shot dead in full public view with so many policemen around. “What action has the government taken?” he asked, while warning against letting people being killed like that and letting those responsible go scot-free.

The senior BJP leader criticised the AAP government for providing free run to the radical preacher Amritpal Singh, who has been openly preaching and propagating violence and speaking the language of secession and separatism.

“How can you let someone like him go scot-free when he has been openly speaking against the unity and integrity of the country and openly calling youth to take weapons?” he asked the AAP government.

Captain Amarinder said that this is criminal negligence on part of the AAP government as it has repeatedly failed in tackling serious incidents of crime. He pointed out, gangsters were also having a free run as they were killing people like international sports stars and singers at their sweet will.

He also expressed strong apprehensions that the forces inimical to the interests of the country and state may soon form a nexus between gangsters and terrorists. “I am not sure whether they have already done it and if they do it, it will be a very dangerous situation to tackle”, he warned the government while advising it “to nip the evil in the bud.”