India News | Dera Follower Killing: Nobody Will Be Allowed to Disturb Peace, Says Punjab CM
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. Under fire from the Opposition over another killing incident in a week, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann Thursday said his government will not allow any anti-social element to disturb the hard-earned peace and communal harmony at any cost.
Chandigarh, Nov 10 (PTI) Under fire from the Opposition over another killing incident in a week, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann Thursday said his government will not allow any anti-social element to disturb the hard-earned peace and communal harmony at any cost.
He also directed the police to nab those behind the killing of a Dera follower at the earliest.
Dera Sacha Sauda follower Pardeep Singh, who was an accused in the 2015 sacrilege cases, was shot dead on Thursday by six unidentified assailants in Punjab's Faridkot district, police said.
Pardeep (37) was shot in his dairy shop at around 7 am in Kotkapura in Faridkot. His security staff and another person sustained bullet injuries in the incident.
The guilty must be given stern punishment as per law, said Mann while chairing a meeting with the senior officers of the state administration and the Punjab Police.
During the meeting, the police officers briefed the chief minister about the Faridkot incident.
This sensitive matter should be thoroughly investigated and the case will be taken to a legal conclusion without any bias, Mann said, adding no criminal incident can be viewed through the narrow perspective of caste or religion.
The perpetrators of this crime will not be spared at any cost, the chief minister asserted.
About the killing of the Dera Sacha Sauda follower in Faridkot, he said, "These unfortunate incidents are being carried out with the nefarious design to dent the strong bonds of decade-old brotherhood, communal harmony, mutual love and unity."
The state government is firmly committed to maintaining the law-and-order situation in Punjab and no one will be allowed to disturb the hard-earned peace at any cost. These forces will be given a befitting reply, Mann said.
During the meeting, the chief minister also ordered the officers to conduct a review of licensed firearms across the state.
Expressing confidence in the efficiency of the Punjab Police, Mann said the force has a glorious history of combatting the fissiparous forces.
The chief minister directed the police to enhance vigil across the state by organising special checking and also deal sternly with those attempting to disturb the peaceful environment of the state.
Pardeep Singh's killing came days after the November 4 murder of Shiv Sena (Taksali) leader Sudhir Suri in Amritsar. Both the victims had police protection.
Opposition parties attacked the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government over the law-and-order situation in the state with former chief minister and BJP leader Amarinder Singh alleging that the state is "heading towards total lawlessness".
"Daily murders, daylight firing, Punjab is sadly heading towards total lawlessness and the inexperienced Bhagwant Mann-led govt has been able to do nothing to stop all this. I strongly urge him to start focusing on law and order of the state before we transcend towards the dark era of the 80s," Singh tweeted.
Punjab BJP general secretary Subhash Sharma said the state government is in a "deep slumber".
"One more murder... Every day, incidents of violence are happening in Punjab... Bhagwant Mannji, understand your constitutional duty and turn your attention towards Punjab," he said.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)