Chandigarh: The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab which was on upswing over sacking its own minister for corruption last week has got into a huddle after finding itself in a tight spot after the shocking killing of popular singer Shubhdeep Singh aka Sidhu Moosewala two days ago.
The chief minister Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government had sacked and jailed its own health minister Vjay Singla on May 24 for asking for commission in tenders and other works. Mann who had got the complaint against Singla had himself got the issue verified, dismissed Singla and handed over the matter to the police to act. The AAP action bagged appreciation, especially from party supremo and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.
However, the sensational broad daylight killing of popular singer Shubhdeep aka Sidhu Moosewala, 28, by unidentified assailants near his ancestral village Jawakarke in Mansa district on Sunday has brought the AAP in a tight spot since.
Such was the twist of fate that it was Sidhu, who was a Congress candidate in the February assembly polls whom Singla had defeated with a huge margin, and that the AAP government had temporarily curtailed Moosewala’s security a day before his shocking killing. The Mann government has thus come under fire also for leaking the details of his security withdrawal of 424 VIPs (including Moosewala) on social media, reportedly for political gains.
EVENTS POSTPONED
Having been in a huddle after coming under heavy criticism, the AAP government deferred the Cabinet meeting as well as the three-day training session for the first-time legislators, which were scheduled for Monday.
Not only this, the chief minister Mann and most of the ministers and senior leaders were also conspicuous for their absence at the time of filing their nominations by environmentalist Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal and entrepreneur and social activist Vikramjit Singh Sahney for the Rajya Sabha seats from Punjab on Tuesday. Among a few others, only two cabinet ministers Harpal Singh Cheema and Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal accompanied the two.
Political observers also foresee an adverse impact of Moosewala’s murder on the bypoll of Sangrur Parliamentary seat which is scheduled for June 23. The seat fell vacant after Mann resigned from the seat following his win from Dhuri seat in the recently held assembly polls. He had won Sangrur Lok Sabha seat twice with a margin of over 1 lakh votes both times.
ADGP APPOINTED
Meanwhile, the state government also appointed additional director general of police (ADGP) Ishwar Singh as the ADGP, law and order. Previous ADGP, Law and Order, Naresh Kumar, was shifted about a week ago. It is pertinent to mention here that Sidhu Moosewala was shot dead during the period when there was no officer heading the Law and Order wing. Ishwar Singh who was chief director, vigilance bureau, was replaced by ADGP, prisons, Varinder Kumar.
