Gangsters in Punjab don't fear police; state is 'haven' for criminals: BJP

Punjab BJP vice-president Subhash Sharma on Friday alleged that the state has become a safe haven for notorious criminals, saying gangsters are openly carrying out murders. All these incidents show that Punjab has become a safe haven for gangsters and criminals and they are openly operating in the state, Sharma alleged.

Punjab BJP vice-president Subhash Sharma on Friday alleged that the state has become a ''safe haven'' for notorious criminals, saying gangsters are openly carrying out murders. Sharma also claimed that people who do not feel safe in the prevailing situation are moving out of the state. Comparing the law and order situation of Punjab with that of BJP-ruled Haryana, Sharma claimed that no such incidents are occurring in the neighbouring state. Targeting the AAP government in Punjab over the alleged deterioration in law and order, Sharma asked Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to pay attention to Punjab. He alleged that the chief minister was currently focused only on ''pleasing'' his Delhi-based leader, Arvind Kejriwal and spending Punjab's treasury for the expansion of the Aam Aadmi Party. Addressing the media here, Sharma alleged that the law and order situation has ''totally collapsed'' in Punjab. Sharma, who was accompanied by Mohali district president Sanjiv Vashisht, said, ''In Punjab, murders are taking place every day with no count of snatching incidents.'' Pointing towards the daylight murder of a man near the office of the Mohali senior superintendent of police, Sharma said it clearly shows that gangsters and criminals have no fear of police and the state government. One of the accused in the 2020 murder of a cousin of gangster Goldy Brar was fatally shot by two unidentified assailants on Wednesday near the Mohali SSP office. BJP leader Sharma also cited examples of the recent murder of Kabaddi promoter-cum-player Kanwar Digvijay Singh alias Rana Balachauria in Mohali and the killing of the RSS leader's son in Ferozepur. ''All these incidents show that Punjab has become a 'safe haven' for gangsters and criminals and they are openly operating in the state,'' Sharma alleged. Sharma said the situation in Punjab has deteriorated to such an extent that even small-time businessmen are being openly extorted. ''If someone buys a vehicle, they receive a call for extortion by evening. Similarly, even after getting a property registered, people are being asked to pay extortion,'' he claimed. Taking a swipe at the ongoing Punjab police operation against gangsters, Sharma claimed the criminals have become so emboldened that they are carrying out murders every day and are challenging the state government. The operation is just limited to advertisements with no impact at the ground level. Had it become successful, then the murder would not have taken place near the SSP office, he said. Comparing the law and order in Punjab with Haryana, Sharma said, because of a strong government in Haryana, no murders and firing incidents are taking place every day.

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