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Punjab bans public display of arms, songs glorifying them
The Punjab government on Sunday banned songs promoting gun culture, public display of weapons and ordered a thorough review of all existing arms licenses in the state within the next three months, according to an official order.
The Punjab government on Sunday banned songs promoting gun culture, public display of weapons and ordered a thorough review of all existing arms licenses in the state within the next three months, according to an official order.
The order, issued by the state home department to the director general of police (DGP), police commissioners, deputy commissioners and senior superintendents of police, came amid criticism over alleged deteriorating law and order in the state after Shiv Sena (Taksali) leader Sudhir Suri and Dera Sacha Sauda follower Pardeep Singh were killed in a week this month.
“If any license has been found to be issued to any ineligible person, then it should be canceled immediately. A complete ban should be imposed on songs eulogizing guns and violence. Complete ban on public display of weapons, including on social media,” the directive said.
On May 12, chief minister Bhagwant Mann condemned the trend of gun culture and gangsterism being “promoted” by some singers, warning that those found involved will be dealt with sternly.
The prohibited carrying and displaying of weapons at public events, social gatherings and religious ceremonies.
The department also ordered a thorough review of all existing arms licenses within the next three months and said any license found to be issued to an ineligible person should be revoked immediately.
Gun licenses are granted following a detailed formal application, depending on the license seek’s requirement and threat perception. Applicants often cite crop protection, family heirloom, security threat and financial dealings as reasons for applying for the same. Character verification, medical and dope tests are conducted on license seekers as part of the application process.
The directives also included tightening of procedures for issuance of fresh arms licenses and random checking to curb illegal possession of guns. No new license will be issued unless the concerned authority is convinced about the grounds for the same, the order said.
Besides these, the government also called for registration of a police case against those who indulge in hate speech against any community.
Suri (58) was protesting outside Gopal Mandir on Majithia Road — one of the busiest places in Amritsar — when the main accused, Sandeep Singh (31), shot him on November 4. The incident took place in the presence of a police team, including an assistant police commissioner.
Singh was arrested on the spot. Police said he was “self-radicalised” and had committed a “hate crime”.
Pardeep Singh, an accused in the 2015 Bargari sacrilege case in Faridkot, was shot dead inside his shop in Faridkot’s Kotkapura on November 10. Punjab Police said six people were involved in the killing. Delhi Police’s special cell nabbed three suspects, including two juveniles, from Patiala district on Friday.
Punjab, hit by terrorism in the 1980s and 1990s, has approximately 400,000 arms license holders, including those of prohibited bore and non-prohibited bore, and most of these were issued during the militancy period, according to people familiar with the matter.
Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa said any steps taken by the state government to improve law and order or to safeguard the interests of the citizens are welcome. “They (government) have to be very careful while reviewing the existing gun licenses so as not to disarm people who need the weapons for their safety,” he said.
“However, action must be taken against those license holders who are involved in crimes like murder. There is an urgent need to crackdown on illegal weapons in the state but the government appears to be groping in the dark,” he added.
