Punjab Newsline, Chandigarh–
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal today condemned chief minister Bhagwant Mann for withdrawing the security cover of Punjabi artist Gippy Grewal simply because the latter had met him at this Badal residence recently.
In a statement here, the SAD president said similarly earlier the security cover of Nanaksar ‘samprada’ head Baba Ghalla Singh ji was withdrawn after the latter had urged people to support the SAD during his visit to Nanaksar. He also asserted that the security cover of Punjabi singer Jordan Sandhu was also withdrawn on the same pretext.
Asserting that artists and heads of respected ‘sampradas’ faced grave security threats with artists especially being targeted by gangsters and extortionists, Mr Sukhbir Badal said the chief minister was using security cover as a political tool to make the artists as well as other personalities fall in line. “Anyone failing to do so or seen meeting or supporting the SAD is made vulnerable by withdrawing their security cover”.
Badal said the horrific daylight assassination of prominent Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala was an example of the deadly consequences of such a policy. “But it seems the AAP government has not learnt any lessons from its past mistakes. It is continuing to use the threat of security withdrawal as a political tool. I strongly condemn this and want to make it clear that in case any harm comes to the artists or other personalities whose security cover has been withdrawn arbitrarily the chief minister will be solely responsible.
The SAD president also disclosed that he would take up the issue with the Punjab Governor so that the AAP government could be prevented from indulging in such acts of vendetta. EOM