If Punjab govt recommends, Centre ready to get Moosewala's death probed by NIA: BJP's Sirsa

Senior Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa also wrote to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, urging him to transfer the murder case to the Central Bureau of Investigation CBI or the National Investigation Agency NIA so that justice can be delivered to the family at the earliest.Sirsa visited Moosewalas village in Mansa and met the singers family to express his condolences.

BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Sunday said the Centre is ready to get the killing of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala probed by a central agency like NIA if the Punjab government recommends it. Senior Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa also wrote to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, urging him to ''transfer the murder case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or the National Investigation Agency (NIA) so that justice can be delivered to the family at the earliest''.

Sirsa visited Moosewala's village in Mansa and met the singer's family to express his condolences. Asked to comment on the demand of the singer's family to get the death investigated by a central agency, the BJP leader told reporters, ''If they want it to be probed by NIA, we will get it probed.'' He, however, said the Punjab government will have to recommend for a probe by NIA or CBI after which the central agency will take over the investigation.

Replying to another question, he expressed concern over the 'deteriorating' law and order situation in the state. Bajwa also targeted the AAP-led state government over the handling of the case. ''Firstly, you (government) had constituted an Anti-Gangster Task Force headed by an officer of ADGP-rank and publicised it as an efficient force which would put an end to the menace of gangsters. However, this force proved to be a big failure as it could neither anticipate nor prevent the murder of Sidhu Moosewala. ''Secondly, this special force did not even get to know that gangsters had access to weapons like AK-47 and AN-94. Therefore, to expect any action from such a special force which your government has created would be asking for too much as they did not even object to the reduction of security of Moosewala and have not been able to arrest the actual culprits who are openly taking responsibility of the crime,'' the Congress leader said in his letter to the chief minister. He said thirdly, the singer's murder is a national loss. ''A fair and impartial investigation is needed as it would lead to investigation of perpetrators both within the borders of Punjab as well as other states and possibly even lead to investigating external threats,'' he said. Bajwa, who is also the Leader of Opposition, added that the responsibility of senior police officers needs to be fixed and appropriate action taken against them so as to ensure that such incidents do not happen again and people of Punjab remain safe.

''I request you to transfer the investigation into the murder of Sidhu Moosewala to CBI or NIA so as to deliver justice to the family of Moosewala and enable the people of Punjab to remain safe..,'' he demanded. Meanwhile, political leaders cutting across parties met the slain singer's family and expressed their condolences.

Senior Congress leader and former Union minister Kumari Selja, who met the aggrieved family, termed Moosewala a multi-talented artist.

''He achieved so much at a very young age with his talent and hard work. His brutal murder has left everyone in shock. His death is an irreparable loss to the music world,'' she told reporters.

Selja said the AAP government has proved to be a complete failure in maintaining law and order, and tightening the noose around criminals. Moosewala's parents had on Saturday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah at the Chandigarh airport. In the meeting, Moosewala's father Balkaur Singh was learnt to have demanded a probe by central agencies into the brutal murder of his son.

Bhagwant Mann had visited Moosewala's house on Friday and assured his family that his killers would soon be put behind bars.

The singer was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Mansa on May 29.

According to the autopsy report, his body bore 19 bullet injury marks. PTI SUN VSD SRY