Expressing serious concern over the cold-blooded murder of a pregnant dancer in celebratory firing at a Bathinda function, Punjab Congress president Captain Amarinder Singh has urged the Election Commission to crack down immediately on the proliferation of arms in the state ahead of the Assembly elections.In a letter to the EC, Captain Amarinder said the incident had once against highlighted the total collapse of law and order in the state, which was under the control of armed gangs patronized by the Badals.Pointing out that no action whatsoever had been taken against the 52 armed gangs which the DGP himself had admitted to being active in the state, Captain Amarinder said the total and brazen lawlessness prevailing in the state was continuously getting exacerbated as the Assembly elections were drawing closer.Captain Amarinder, in his letter to the Election Commission, observed that notwithstanding the fact that the polls were just about two months away, the state authorities had not initiated any drive yet to get people to deposit their arms with the police, which is usually a practice ahead of any elections.
Criminals, including Akali leaders and workers, were moving freely around the state with all kinds of arms, which were being used to unleash a reign of terror against the common people, said Captain Amarinder.The perpetually deteriorating law and order situation in Punjab threatened to disrupt the poll process, which is likely to witness unprecedented violence, Captain Amarinder warned, appealing to the EC to immediately intervene and come down heavily on the growing gun culture in the run-up to the elections.Armed with guns and other weapons, criminals were going around indulging in violence against the innocent people, the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president said, adding that a free and fair election was no longer possible in the state.Reiterating his demand for immediate imposition of the Code of Conduct and holding of elections under President’s Rule, Captain Amarinder cited several incidents in recent days to underline the gravity of the problem.
He referred to the Nabha jail break and the killing of an innocent woman in its wake to stress upon the need for the EC to take over the administrative and other controls in its hands without further delay.Captain Amarinder recalled several other incidents of criminal attacks and violence against people by Akali leaders and workers to underline the urgent need for EC intervention. Even elderly people are not being spared, he pointed out, referring to the merciless beating of an aged woman at the Prime Minister’s rally in Bathinda – the venue of Sunday’s killing of the dancer – recently.Armed goons and criminals, with many of them either belonging to the ruling party or patronized by them, were being allowed to terrorise and victimize people without fear, the Punjab Congress president noted, demanding stern action by the EC to curb the arms propagation in the state.