Law and order situation: Congress demands Prez rule in Punjab

In the backdrop of the death of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader brigadier Jagdish Gagneja (retired) on Thursday, 47 days after being shot at here, the Congress has demanded President’s Rule in state, alleging government’s failure to maintain law and order.

In the backdrop of the death of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader brigadier Jagdish Gagneja (retired) on Thursday, 47 days after being shot at here, the Congress has demanded President’s Rule in state, alleging government’s failure to maintain law and order.

Senior Congress leader Sunil Jakhar offering his condolences at the residence of Jagdish Gagneja in Jalandhar on Friday.(Pardeep Pandit/HT Photo)

The Gagneja case remains unsolved. Senior Congress leader Sunil Jhakar condemned the ruling alliance for it during a press conference here on Friday. “(Deputy chief minister) Sukhbir Singh Badal (who also holds the home portfolio) said Punjab Police had valuable proof... and the culprit will be arrested in 24 hours,” said Jakhar. “But Thursday’s media reports expose the lies of this government. Police had nothing except security-camera footage, in which the assailants have their faces covered.”

Jakhar asked Sukhbir to resign and said “the Punjab Congress will go to the governor to demand the President’s Rule”.

On August 6, two men came in on a motorcycle to fire upon Gagneja near Jyoti Chowk here.

At Ludhiana’s DMC Heart Institute, he died during treatment on Thursday morning. Moving the case to the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) was a measure of the faith that the Bharatiya Janata Party had in its alliance partner in the state, Jakhar hinted.