NEW DELHI: Opposition leaders blamed the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab over security breach at Golden Temple premises after a man opened fire at Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday.
Bhartiya Janata Party leader Shehzad Poonawalla said that state chief minister Bhagwant Mann and Arvind Kejriwal were “directly responsible” for the incident.
“The attack on SAD leader Sukhbir Singh Badal within the premises of Golden Temple is worrying, we condemn it. It says that law and order has crumbled in Punjab. Bhagwant Mann, Arvind Kejriwal, who is the super CM of Punjab, are directly responsible. Is there any conspiracy? Or it is only their failure and incompetence, it will only be clear after impartial investigation. But a criminal, radicalised element reached there, anything could have happened,” he said.
‘What era is Punjab being pushed into?’
SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema questioned the law and order situation in the state and called for a judicial enquiry into the matter.
“This is a huge incident, what era is Punjab being pushed into?…I would like to ask the CM of Punjab, where do you want to take Punjab?” Cheema told reporters shortly after the incident.
He has called for a “high-level judicial enquiry” into the matter. “The attacker was caught on the spot. I also thank the security personnel here. Had they not acted promptly…There should be a high-level judicial enquiry into the incident,” he said.
‘100% govt negligence’
Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring condemned the incident and expressed dissatisfaction over the law and order situation in the state, calling it “100% negligence of the government.” He also called for the suspension of the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP).
“I consider firing at Sukhbir Singh Badal, 100% negligence of the Government…This shows the condition of law and order situation in Punjab. Whoever fired bullets should be given the strictest punishment,” he told ANI.
I condemn this in the strongest of terms…ACP should be suspended, immediate action should be taken against him. How did this happen? Who should be held accountable? Government is waiting for someone to be killed and then they can say that it was a lapse…There might be hatred for Sukhbir Badal in the minds of Sikhs…but it doesn’t mean you will shoot him,” he added.
Earlier today, a man opened fire at Badal at the entrance of Golden Temple in Amritsar. Badal was serving his punishment at the time. The assailant, identified as Narayan Singh Chaura, has been arrested.
