Soon after the killing of famous Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala on Sunday, the opposition parties in Punjab lashed out at the AAP government for curtailing his security cover, with the Congress terming the incident a “political murder”.
Moosewala was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Punjab's Mansa district, a day after the state government curtailed his security cover.
Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring condemned the “brutal assassination” of Punjabi singer and party colleague Moosewala, saying it is a “political murder conceived and executed under a proper conspiracy. “
“I feel shocked and devastated beyond belief and expression over the loss of my colleague and a promising star in the party”, Warring said in a statement, while holding Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann wholly and solely responsible for his murder.
The state Congress president said it was just two days ago that Moosewala's security had been withdrawn by the Punjab government, without assessing his threat perception.
“Moosewala was not only a political leader, he was an internationally acclaimed singer who should have been provided extra security,” he said, while asserting that there was a “deep-rooted conspiracy” behind his murder.
Warring demanded registration of an FIR against the Punjab director general of police and Mansa senior superintendent of police not only for the “lapse”, but also for being part of the “conspiracy to eliminate” Moosewala.
He said when about six months ago, Moosewala was provided security by the Punjab government, it was after specific intelligence inputs.
“The DGP and the SSP must be put behind the bars for being part of the conspiracy,” he demanded.
“It just can't be a coincidence that two days ago his security was withdrawn and today he was killed in an ambush by more than a dozen assailants,” the statement quoted Warring as saying.
Warring said Moosewala's father spoke to him on Sunday morning and said that his son was left with just two security men. He claimed that Moosewala could not take his two security men along with him as they were tired and wanted to take rest, asserting that the singer was given eight security guards during the previous Congress regime.
BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh said Moosewala murder within hours of the AAP government withdrawing his security demonstrated once again “complete collapse” of law and order in Punjab.
Chugh said the Bhagwant Mann government should immediately “stop helping his mentor Arvind Kejriwal for making political use of Punjab Police”.
While expressing shock over the incident, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal said this incident “exhibits an abject breakdown of law and order in Punjab.”
This is an extremely sombre and critical hour, requiring all of us to exercise restraint and statesmanship. On his part, CM must reflect deeply why Punjab under him has drifted into anarchy with total breakdown of law & order,” said Badal in a tweet.
“CM also must honestly think if the cheaply populist decision to withdraw Moosewala's security is directly responsible for the tragedy. After all, he faced tangible threat to life. This is no time for political point scoring but someone must take responsibility for the situation,” said the SAD chief.
Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa asked the ruling AAP to “stop tinkering with the security of individuals to gain cheap publicity on social media”.
“What was the point of putting the list on social media after withdrawal of their security. If anything happens to any individual whose security has been withdrawn.
“It will be direct responsibility of Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann. Instead of giving 80 security officials to Kejriwal, 45 to Raghav Chadha, 20 to his sister and 15 to his mother, he should focus on managing the law and order of Punjab,” said Bajwa in a tweet.
