Punjab: Cong MLA sparks row as audio demanding ‘courtesy call’ from SHO hits internet

In Facebook post, Gill calls for action against SHO for sharing audio online, later deletes it citing CM orders

Congress MLA from Patti Harminder Singh Gill sparked controversy on Tuesday after an audio clip of him allegedly threatening a newly-appointed SHO for not paying him a courtesy visit surfaced on the internet.

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This has come at a time when the whole country is expressing gratitude towards the police force for combating Covid-19 on the frontlines.

As per the unverified audio clip, which is spreading rapidly on social media platforms, the MLA is talking to Harike police SHO sub-inspector Navdeep Singh in a rude and haughty manner.

The call recording begins with Gill’s personal assistant making the cop aware that the MLA was on the line. “Since when have you been posted here,” Gill asks, to which the SHO says, “Sir, a day before yesterday.”

“Don’t you know there is an MLA in Patti constituency to whom you need to make a call,” Gill questions Singh, who replies, “I had taken permission from the sir (seems the SSP).”

To this, Gill says, “Listen to me for a minute my young brother, MLAs have some powers. We are not imbeciles who will sit back and watch SHO or munshis take charge here...How will you do your ‘SHOship’ without talking to the MLA? Did you make a courtesy call to me? Did I go to Pakistan? How many MLAs are in Patti constituency? Have you fallen from the sky? Have you become the god?........You talk to your SSP. Is MLA not important to you?” Gill continues.

He further says, “Whenever a cop does his work, you stop him. I asked police officer Kulbir Singh for some work, but you have resisted him. Why you have stopped him?”

When the SHO said he was unaware of this, Gill is heard saying in a threatening tone, “No issues. You will get the knowledge soon.” Before the call is disconnected, the SHO says “sorry” to the MLA.

On Tuesday, Gill took to Facebook to post a clarification on the audio recording. He also demanded action against the SHO for sharing the audio clip online. “If I have uttered anything wrong in the recording, action should be taken against me as per the law. And if the SHO has violated his duty, appropriate step should be taken against him,” he posted on his Facebook page.

However, he later deleted the post and shared a new one which read, “I am a disciplined sepoy of the Congress party. The matter has reached the CM house. On the CM’s direction, I am deleting all my posts regarding the matter from Facebook.”

Justifying his stand, Gill told HT that he wanted to leave no communication gap between the administration and a public representative. “If I seem to have talked rudely, I feel for it. But I didn’t give him any threats,” he said adding that the SHO had illegally shared the call recording on social media, using fake IDs.

The SHO could not be contacted despite repeated attempts. Also, no senior district police official was willing to comment on the issue.

Meanwhile, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) district president Virsa Singh Valtoha has demanded an FIR against the MLA for threatening a government official.

AAP SEEKS LEGAL ACTION AGAINST CONG MLA

The Punjab unit of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday sought registration of a case against the Congress MLA from Patti, Harminder Singh Gill, for insulting and threatening the station house officer of Harike Pattan police station.

In a joint statement issued from party headquarters Tuesday, AAP’s state unit president Bhagwant Mann and leader of opposition (LoP) Harpal Singh Cheema also demanded Gill’s immediate expulsion from the Congress obstructing and threatening a public servant. They said that Gill’s actions were a reflection of how some ruling party leaders, MLAs and ministers were browbeating officials.