CHANDIGARH: Leader of Opposition (LoP), Partap Singh Bajwa, on Monday launched a scathing attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, questioning its ability to maintain law and order during the ongoing Panchayat Elections in Punjab. Bajwa specifically criticized Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who also serves as the Home Minister, for failing to ensure a peaceful electoral process, leading to widespread violence across rural Punjab.
Citing disturbing incidents, Bajwa highlighted the tragic death of a woman from Amritsar, who was affiliated with the Congress Party. The incident, which also left four others critically injured, occurred as a direct result of poll-related violence. The woman's son, Lovepreet Singh, confirmed that the attackers were linked to the Aam Aadmi Party. "We are associated with Congress. The attackers were from the Aam Aadmi Party, " he said, pointing to the alarming escalation of violence in what should have been a peaceful democratic process.
In another appalling incident, Bajwa referred to the murder of AAP leader Rajwinder Singh from Patti block, Tarn Taran district, who was shot dead in what appears to be another instance of unchecked violence. "Both incidents, regardless of party affiliation, reveal a total collapse of law and order under the Mann administration, " Bajwa remarked, condemning the state's inability to protect its citizens.
Bajwa further expressed grave concern over reports of gangsters actively intimidating candidates from opposition parties, preventing them from filing nominations for the post of sarpanch. "AAP leaders, workers, and volunteers have been given a free hand to terrorize opposition candidates, turning the Panchayat Elections into a mockery of democracy, " Bajwa stated.
He added that since the election process began, rural Punjab has been engulfed in violent clashes, calling out Bhagwant Mann's leadership as nothing more than hollow rhetoric. "The reality of CM Mann's so-called commitment to free and fair elections has been laid bare. His governance has led to bloodshed and fear at the grassroots level, leaving democracy in shambles, " Bajwa asserted.
Bajwa also took aim at the state's administrative machinery, accusing the police and Block Development and Panchayat Officers (BDPOs) of acting under the influence of AAP legislators and leaders rather than performing their duties impartially. "Instead of protecting democratic processes, police officials and BDPOs are taking orders from AAP members, further eroding the public’s trust in the system, " Bajwa charged.