Punjab CM Capt Amarinder condemns attack on BJP MLA, warns of strict action against anyone disturbing peace

Even as he urged the farmers not to indulge in such acts of violence, the Chief Minister appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to urgently resolve the crisis triggered by the Farm Laws to prevent the situation from escalating further.

He also directed DGP Dinkar Gupta to take strict action, under the law, against the perpetrators, who also clashed with the police personnel who tried to rescue the MLA.

Gurmail Singh, SP Headquarters, Faridkot, was also injured while trying to save and evacuate the MLA from the protesting crowd. He also suffered a lathi blow on his head, causing his turban to fall off. He was admitted in Civil Hospital, Malout, where the incident took place.

The DGP later said a criminal cases will be registered against the suspects who assaulted the MLA and police officers. He said statements of local BJP leaders were being recorded and relevant sections of law would be imposed on its basis.

With the simmering tensions between the Centre, led by the BJP, and the farmers, who have been fighting for their rights for the past four months, intensifying, a number of incidents of protests against BJP leaders were reported from different parts of Punjab today.

The Chief Minister said while protesting is the democratic right of the farmers, violence of any sorts would not be tolerated, and the law and order situation in the state would not be allowed to be disturbed at any cost. He said barring the assault on the BJP MLA, other BJP leaders were safely evacuated from the protest sites.

Seeking the Prime Minister’s immediate intervention to resolve the tensions, Capt Amarinder said any further delay on the part of the central government would trigger further unrest among the agitating farmers.

Coupled with the increased threat from across the border from Pakistan-backed terrorist outfits, who were already trying to exploit the situation, this could pose a serious security threat to Punjab, and resultantly the entire nation, he warned.

He again reiterated the need for the Centre not to stand on ego but to immediately revoke the Farm Laws and sit across the table with the farmers to work out new legislations based on their inputs and feedback.

The farmers, he pointed out, had been out on the roads for four months now, and with no sign of the central government being willing to step back, the anger among the farmers was growing.

Reacting to the demand of Punjab BJP leaders for his resignation over the issue, the Chief Minister said instead of trying to take political mileage from today’s incident, they should pressurise their central leadership to withdraw the controversial legislations.

The BJP leaders should apprise the BJP central leadership of the genuine anger among the farmers, which the Government of India has been brushing off as the handiwork of the Congress in Punjab, he added.

Punjab Assembly Speaker Rana KP Singh also strongly condemned the attack on BJP MLA Arun Narang at Malout.

In a statement here, the Speaker said, such incidents had no place in a democratic set up. “It is not only unacceptable, but highly condemnable that an elected representative of the people was mercilessly thrashed in full public view,” he said.

“We will not allow anyone to take law into their own hands”, he said, while adding, such incidents are aimed at maligning the farmers’ agitation and weakening their cause.

The Speaker has asked the Punjab Director General of Police to identify the culprits and take strict action against them. He has asked the DGP for a time bound report about the incident and the action taken.Punjab Assembly Speaker Rana KP Singh also strongly condemned the attack on BJP MLA Arun Narang at Malout.

In a statement here, the Speaker said, such incidents had no place in a democratic set up. “It is not only unacceptable, but highly condemnable that an elected representative of the people was mercilessly thrashed in full public view,” he said.

“We will not allow anyone to take law into their own hands”, he said, while adding, such incidents are aimed at maligning the farmers’ agitation and weakening their cause.

The Speaker has asked the Punjab Director General of Police to identify the culprits and take strict action against them. He has asked the DGP for a time bound report about the incident and the action taken.

Dubbing the manhandling of Abohar MLA Arun Narang as the “sad day” in the state’s history, Punjab BJP President Ashwani Sharma said that the state government has totally failed to maintain law and order.

The BJP leader said that never has such a “disgraceful incident happened in the political history of the country” and added that political parties in a democratic set up have every right to protest and condemn but there is a “code of decency" which is followed by civilised societies.

“The police could not protect its elected MLA what would a common man be subjected to if the mob takes over?" rued Mr Sharma. The only fault of the MLA was that he was holding a press conference in Malout against the “misrule of four years” by Capt Amarinder Singh, he said.

He said Capt Amarinder Singh has no right to rule as Chief Minister and should immediately resign if he has any respect for the democratic values of governance.

"The BJP as a political party has every right to peacefully raise the dire issues being faced by the citizens of the state and this incident is to muzzle the voice of dissent," Mr Sharma lamented.

“We strongly condemn this incident and blame the state government for its total mismanagement of the precarious law and order situation in the state. Unfortunately the level of petty politics which is marred with violence and disgrace is being practised by vested interests," the BJP leader said.