CHANDIGARH: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today said chief minister Bhagwant Mann did not have any moral right to continue as home minister after the manner in which a judge of the Punjab and Haryana high court judge had expressed complete lack of faith in the security cover provided by the Punjab Police to him and requested that neutral security personnel be posted with him.
Requesting the chief minister to resign immediately owning moral responsibility for his failure as the home minister, senior SAD leader Dr Daljit Singh Cheema said “the development shows the level to which a once disciplined and professional force has descended to under Mr Bhagwant Mann’s leadership”. He said the chief minister had also failed as home minister to avert the breakdown in the law and order situation in the State and the prevalence of gangster raj. “Now we have a judge of the Punjab and Haryana high court castigating the neutrality of the Punjab Police and requesting that he be provided security cover by the Chandigarh Police or the Haryana Police”.
Asserting that the chief minister owed an explanation to Punjabis, Dr Daljit Cheema said “when a high court judge does not have faith in the Punjab Police how can three crore Punjabis trust the force with their security?” Dr Cheema said besides the common man, who was facing a plethora of robberies and snatchings, professionals and industrialists were facing extortions and targeted killings. “It is due to this atmosphere of fear that Punjab is not attracting any investment and even home grown entrepreneurs are now investing in neighbouring States. The only way out of this mess is for Mr Bhagwant Mann to resign as home minister as he had failed in his duties”, Dr Cheema added.