Chandigarh: Even as all the political parties sharpened their attack on the Punjab’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government over the Friday’s brutal attack on Shiv Sena leader Sandeep Thapar, the state BJP chief Sunili Jakhar on Saturday held that it was chief minister Bhagwant Mann's callous attitude towards governance which was making Punjab bleed with unabated wave of violence and hate crimes.
Speaking to newspersons after visiting Shiv Sena leader Thapar at the Dayanand Medical College and Hospital in Ludhiana, Jakhar said CM's ineptness and casual attitude towards governance is making Punjab going down the path of uncontrolled violence.
Stating that if the state government thinks it is unable to restore law and order it must accept the same and ask the Centre for assistance, Jakhar said the pattern emerging in these types of crimes in Punjab in the last few months demands urgent attention.
``First it was the fatal attack on Shiv Sena leader Sudhir Suri in Amritsar, then the fatal attack on Prabhakar in Nangal and now this. Any government would be concerned, but not this state government which is only interested in making ``Rangla Punjab’’ through fake advertisements, Jakhar said adding that the situation has been compounded due to ineptness of AAP leadership.
Underscoring the need to address rising hate crimes and the instances of glorification of violence, Jakhar said it is high time before the situation turns into an uncontrollable mess.
Meanwhile, all the opposition parties – Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD and BJP further sharpened their attack on the AAP government alleging the administration is missing from the state.
The opposition leaders, namely Union minister Ravneet Bittu, who had recently won the Ludhiana Lok Sabha seat, state Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa and SAD chief Sukhbir Badal tore into chief minister alleging that the state AAP government had proved to be an utter failure on the law and order front.
However, while condemning the attack on Thapar, AAP Rajya Sabha member Vikramjit Singh said the Shiv Sena leader should have exercised restraint while celebrating Operation Bluestar anniversary.
It may be recalled that Thapar, 58, was brutally attacked and grievously injured with swords in broad daylight by three Nihang Sikhs outside civil hospital in Ludhiana on Friday afternoon. Police had late evening claimed to have arrested two of the three assailants from Fatehgarh Sahib district.
