The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Monday said that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab was indulging in vendetta politics, accusing it of human rights violation in the case of Bikram Singh Majithia currently lodged in the Patiala central jail in an NDPS case.
Addressing a press conference, SAD leaders Prem Singh Chandumajra, Maheshinder Singh Grewal and Daljit Singh Cheema said it was condemnable that the AAP government was acting against the democratic norms and also violating the jail manual.
Referring to Majithia, Chandumajra said that the former is entitled to certain facilities inside the jail as an undertrial but was devoid of those.
“The state government is trying to intimidate him as jails minister Harjot Bains visited the Patiala jail and checked the cell in which Majithia is lodged, making it clear that that the AAP government was indulging in vendetta politics,” said Chandumajra.
Elaborating on the law-and-order situation in Punjab, Grewal said that crime had crossed all limits. “Besides targeted killings, we have also witnessed the loot of ₹40 lakh at gunpoint in a crowded area like Chaura bazaar in Ludhiana two days ago,” he said.
The SAD leaders said that AAP government should instead focus on the promises made to the people; improve the political system, increase job opportunities and offer social welfare schemes.
{{/usCountry}}The SAD leaders said that AAP government should instead focus on the promises made to the people; improve the political system, increase job opportunities and offer social welfare schemes.
{{/usCountry}}Attack on freedom of press
SAD leaders alleged that the state government was attacking the freedom of press by registering a false case against PTC channel MD.
Despite the fact that the PTC MD had not even been named in the FIR by a Miss Punjaban contestant, the state police had registered a false case against him, said Chandumajra, adding that this was done despite the fact that the MD and staff had joined the investigation and handed over CCTV grabs to the police to help them dig out the truth.
“The PTC management has been maintaining that it had no links whatsoever with the prime accused in the case – Nancy Ghuman and Bhupinder Singh -- but the police have moved against the PTC MD without even proceeding against the two main accused in the case,” said Cheema. Ghuman is at large and her anticipatory bail has been rejected.