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'Want to congratulate Mann...': Kejriwal's praise amid op to nab Amritpal Singh
Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh: Punjab Police continue their operation to catch the separatist leader.
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday praised his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann as police in the latter's state as the manhunt for Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh stretches into a fourth day. "I want to congratulate Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann for maintaining the law and order situation in a patient and mature way," Kejriwal said.
The Aam Aadmi Party boss - whose outfit claimed a surprise win in last year's election, dethroning the Congress and beating the Bharatiya Janata Party - declared Mann's government had 'shown if intentions are right, law and order can be maintained very well'.
Kejriwal's message came after Mann's warning - of action against anyone trying to disturb the peace (while the hunt for Amritpal Singh; the Khalistani leader was not named) in the state.
"I thank the three crore Punjabis for cooperation in this operation (to arrest Singh). People of Punjab want peace and progress… We will not spare any force working against the country..."
That message was Mann's first public reaction to the operation to catch Singh.
Punjab & Haryana High Court slams Mann govt
An irate court ticked off Mann's government, pointing out it had 80,000 police personnel at its disposal and slammed the failure (so far) to arrest Singh.
READ | '80,000 cops...': HC slams Punjab amid hunt for Amritpal Singh
Operation Amritpal Singh
Punjab Police have arrested over 100 people so far but Singh - the chief of the Waris Punjab De outfit - remains at large.
Authorities suspect the involvement of Pakistan's spy agency, Inter-Services Intelligence, and other foreign groups in efforts to keep Singh free.
Heavy police presence has been stationed outside Singh's residence in Amritsar's Jallupur Khera, while security has been enhanced across the state.
READ | Mann's 'punishment' warning in reaction to Amritpal Singh crackdown
International borders - particularly those with Nepal and Bangladesh - are being closely monitored, with information about Singh sent to check posts.
The Punjab government has told the High Court that the stringent National Security Act has been invoked againt Amritpal Singh.
'People of Delhi request...'
Meanwhile, Kejriwal on Tuesday also hit out at prime minister Narendra Modi and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in the back-and-forth over the annual budget for the national capital; that was after the AAP claimed the budget proposal had been 'put on hold' by the centre.
“For the first time in the country’s 75-year history, the budget of a state has been stopped. Why are you angry with us Delhiites? People of Delhi are requesting you with folded hands to pass our budget,” Kejriwal wrote to Modi.
READ | 'People of Delhi request…': Arvind Kejriwal's plea to PM Modi
Delhi's budget was to have been presented by finance minister Kailash Gehlot on Tuesday but, on Monday evening, Kejriwal said the centre had stopped it.
The centre hit back via union minister Anurag Thakur, who said the document had, in fact, with the Delhi government. "It is wrong to blame the Central Government for something which is pending in the hands of Delhi government.
Howwever, shortly after Thakur's quote to news agency ANI, news broke that the union home ministry had approved the Delhi budget.
With input from agencies
