The Opposition in Punjab on Friday hit out at the government in the state, accusing it of misusing police for settling scores with rivals, a charge denied by the ruling party.
The parties made the charge after the Punjab Police went to Delhi to arrest BJP leader Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga in a case registered against him in Mohali.
However, a Delhi Police team took custody of Bagga in Haryana's Kurukshetra where Punjab cops were stopped following a registration of kidnapping case on the complaint filed by Bagga's father.
Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring condemned the alleged misuse of the Punjab Police by the Aam Aadmi Party for political vendetta.
“AAP is trying to outdo the BJP in misusing police in settling scores with political opponents,” alleged Warring in a statement here.
Reacting to the Bagga's arrest and subsequent development, Warring said the state police, which is known for its courage, valour and sacrifice was pushed into an awkward situation, just for satisfying the ego of “one person” as he wanted someone, who is critical of him, behind the bars.
He was apparently referring to AAP chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
“This is extreme intolerance, whether arresting Bagga or Jignesh Mevani or registering a case against Alka Lamba or Dr Kumar Vishwas and we condemn it all,” he said.
He further said the Delhi Police registering a kidnapping case against the Punjab Police was most unfortunate and completely avoidable.
“This is the saddest day for the Punjab Police that due to the inexperience of our CM Bhagwant Mann, who lets Arvind Kejriwal have his dictatorial way, our decorated cops were held at Kurukshetra, as accused for kidnapping,” he said.
Warring demanded that responsibility must be fixed for putting the state police in such an “embarrassing situation”.
He urged the Director General of Police to use his authority and discretion in handling such issues.
AAP chief spokesperson Malvinder Singh Kang called Bagga a “notorious fake news peddler” and said, “the Punjab police is working professionally. Let me Reiterate Punjab is a fertile land but not for hatred.”
Taking on the Opposition, Kang in a tweet said, “The way the Congress ecosystem is rattled and rallying behind the hate monger Bagga is quite Baffling. Both the BJP and the Congress have enjoyed cosy club, always joined hands for devious purposes, now their sudden cacophony, all together proves them to be birds of feather flock together.”
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal said it was condemnable that at a time when the law and order position in Punjab was its worst and communal harmony was in “disarray”, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had “sublet” the police force to Kejriwal to help him in settling his “petty personal scores”.
Asking Mann not to become a “puppet” in the hands of Kejriwal, Badal said, “The chief minister should take review meetings of the law and order situation as well as ensure those responsible for flaring communal tensions in the recent Patiala clash are brought to task instead of keeping himself busy by deputing Punjab Police teams to Delhi to arrest opponents of AAP”.
Leader of Opposition in state Assembly, Partap Singh Bajwa, urged CM Mann “not reduce Punjab Police officers to private militia of Arvind Kejriwal,” while adding the “whole spectacle” of arresting Bagga “is nothing but vendetta politics by AAP bosses in Delhi.”
Former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh also condemned the arrest of Bagga.
He asked the Punjab Police not to succumb to the “dictatorial diktats” of an outsider. “Remember, Arvind Kejriwal is not your chief minister and you are not there to do his bidding,” he said cautioning the Punjab Police.
Amarinder Singh said when the Punjab Police should be focused on handling the alleged deteriorating law and order and insurgency threat from Pakistan, they are being assigned the job of fixing Kejriwal's political opponents in other states.
The former chief minister asked the state Director General of Police to stand up against the “misuse” of his force.
He said just to satisfy the “ego” of one person, the police of three states, Delhi, Punjab and Haryana have been placed in an ugly and unfortunate situation. “The only person to be blamed for this is Kejriwal”, he said.
Amarinder Singh said the case against Bagga was wrong. “Just because he (Bagga) is critical of Kejriwal does not mean he should be put behind bars,” he said.
BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh slammed the AAP government in Delhi and Punjab for their "Hitler-like action”.
“It was shameful that Tajinder was not even allowed to wear 'patka' and 'dastar', which is a disgrace and insult to a Sikh. It is a huge crime to take a Sikh man away like this without letting him tie his turban,” said Chugh.
Former Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu condemned the AAP government for allegedly indulging in political vendetta.
“Tajinder Bagga could be from a different party, one could have ideological differences. But Political vendetta, of @ArvindKejriwal & @BhagwantMann, to settle personal scores through Punjab police is a cardinal sin… Stop tarnishing the image of Punjab Police by Politicising it..,” said Sidhu in a tweet.