In aftermath of Moose Wala murder, Punjab to restore security of 400-odd VVIPs
The state government told the high court about its decision, though no written submission was given. The government further said that the withdrawal was decided in view of additional force deployment for Operation Blue Star anniversary, which is on June 6.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab government on Thursday informed the Punjab and Haryana high court that the earlier withdrawn security of 400-odd protectees will be restored on June 7. The development comes days after singer and Congress leader Sidhu Moose Wala, whose security cover was downgraded, was shot dead.
The state government told the high court about its decision to restore security cover during a hearing on Thursday, though no written submission was given. The government further said that the withdrawal was decided in view of additional force deployment for Operation Blue Star anniversary, which is on June 6.
The high court was hearing a petition by former Punjab deputy chief minister OP Soni, who is among the over 400 protectees in the state whose security cover was downsized.
Soni's plea had sought quashing of the state government's May 11 order wherein his ‘Z’ security cover was de-categorised, and security personnel was subsequently withdrawn.
Soni's counsel Madhu Dayal told news agency ANI that the Punjab government presented their report on number of people “whose security was taken and [the] reason for which [it] was curtailed in [a] sealed envelope”.
“They didn't have central government's reports on this and have asked for more time,” she was quoted as saying.
The AAP-led Punjab government came under heavy criticism after the murder of Moose Wala on Sunday (May 29). The 28-year-old rapper was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Jawaharke village in Punjab's Mansa district - only a day after his security cover was curtailed.
A day later on Monday (May 30), the Punjab and Haryana high court sought to know from the state government the basis on which it issued orders to remove the security of over 400 protectees in the border region. Dayal had said that Punjab Police withdrew security cover of 184 former ministers and MLAs on “pick and choose basis rather than actual threat perception” following the AAP coming to power.
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