Strongly condemning the killing of Jarmal Singh, the Sarpanch of Valtoha Sandhuan village (Tarn Taran), Punjab Cabinet Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) State President Mr. Aman Arora today warned, "Those who have committed this heinous crime, and whoever stands behind them whether the goons who pulled the triggers or their masters will not be spared."
Mr. Aman Arora visited the grieving family of Sarpanch Jarmal Singh, who was shot dead at Amritsar on Sunday. While expressing his heartfelt condolences, the cabinet minister assured the family that Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government stands firmly with them in this difficult time.
“Not a single one involved in this heinous crime will be spared”, he vowed, while describing the deceased as a selfless, noble-hearted man who never turned away anyone in need, whether from his village or the entire area. “The perpetrators have snatched the gem of person from us in the most tragic and unfortunate manner.
Such individuals are rare; you don't become a Sarpanch three times unless you are a person of impeccable character and public trust. This is a profound loss," he stated. Turning his ire towards the perpetrators, Mr. Aman Arora declared that clear and strict instructions have already been issued to the Punjab Police from the highest levels of the state government.
"Anyone who tries to play with law and order, anyone involved in this crime, will find no forgiveness. The police are actively and effectively on the job and they will face the strict action very soon." Holding past regimes accountable for the gangsterism in the state, Mr. Aman Arora traced the roots of the current crisis to the misrule and patronage of previous governments over the last 10-15 years.
"This pestilence was nurtured and allowed to spread over the last decades. The political patronage of that era is directly responsible for this metastasis growing to such proportions," he alleged. Mr. Aman Arora stated, "No one in our government or party provides patronage to gangsters, drug peddlers, or criminals”, while emphasising that the system of political protection for such elements is "dead and buried".
Punjab Government is committed to a crime-free state, he added. Mr. Arora acknowledged that uprooting this deeply entrenched network taking time and sustained effort, while stating, "We are committed to eradicating this disease of gangsterism and hooliganism completely.
Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government is fully engaged in this mission. We are taking the strongest action within the state, a significant challenge remains with perpetrators sitting in other states or even foreign countries, directing crimes here."
He called for enhanced cooperation from the Central Government, especially in extraditing and deporting such fugitives operating from abroad. He said, "When a gangster like Bishnoi sits in a Gujarat jail, or when criminals operate from foreign soil, the role of the Central Government becomes paramount.
We need their full and unreserved cooperation to break these international links." He said that it is not just an attack on a Sarpanch. It is attack on the peace. The State Government will not rest until every individual involved in this crime and in this wider network of violence, is brought to justice.