Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal today said no one was safe in Punjab with the State witnessing a complete break down in law and order under Congress rule, even as he condemned the murder of a Pastor in Ludhiana last night.In a statement here, the former deputy chief minister, while expressing his condolences to the family of the deceased Pastor Sultan Masih as well as the Christian community, said it was unfortunate that the State had descended into jungle raj under Congress rule. "The Congress government is paying a heavy price for not acting against its own workers who started political killings immediately after the party came into power. The State witnessed sensational killings with one Akali worker being murdered in Gurdaspur after being threatened on the loudspeaker. In another case two members of an Akali family were killed in Ferozepur after being threatened on Facebook. Even Dalits who had voted for the SAD were not spared with many being thrashed and one being even sensationally stripped. All this created an impression that anything goes and anti-social elements took advantage of this and started a spate of robberies and dacoities. Even gang warfare has intensified in Punjab recently", he added.
The SAD president said what was even more dangerous was the systematic manner in which anti-national elements had started attacks against various communities besides resorting to sacrilege of religious Granths to provoke hatred and spoil the completely peaceful atmosphere created under the stewardship of Sarkar Parkash Singh Badal's leadership during the last ten years of SAD-BJP tenure. He said the killing of the Pastor, who headed The Temple of God Church in Salem Tabri in Ludhiana, was another example of the manner in which attempts were being made to create communal Tension in the State".Asking the government to wake up from its slumber and enforce the rule of law, Mr Badal said if this was not done quickly there was danger of Punjab slipping into the dark days of turmoil again. He asked the government to first take action against political 'goondas' of the Congress and then move down the line and rein in anti-social elements besides working full time to foil efforts made by anti-national elements to foment trouble in Punjab.