Chandigarh: Under severe criticism from opposition parties after recent killings, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab on Sunday took various steps to check `gun-culture’, including imposing a ban on songs flaunting arms and violence, displaying weapons on social media and carrying of arms at public gatherings.
Besides, according to official information, the state government has also ordered a review of all the arms licenses issued in the state within the next three months. Also, directions have been issued for the registration of police cases against all those indulging in hate speech against any community.
The steps come after the AAP government in the state came under heavy fire from opposition parties for what they alleged was the collapse of the law and order situation in the state, especially after the two shocking incidents of killings in the past few days.
While the Shiv Sena (Taksali) leader Sudhir Suri was shot dead in broad daylight in Amritsar on November 4, a Dera Sacha Sauda follower Pardeep Singh was shot dead by five shooters in Kotpapura town of Faridkot district on November 10.
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The most shocking aspect in both cases was that both the victims were shot dead in spite of the presence of their state police security cover. While Suri had been given security in the wake of threats from gangsters, Pardeep Singh, an accused of the 2015 sacrilege incident was currently out on bail and had police security.
While banning the songs which glorified arms, weapons and violence, the state government also banned the flaunting of weapons including on social media as well as carrying and display of weapons at public gatherings, religious places, wedding ceremonies and other events.
Pertinently, all the opposition parties in Punjab had torn into the AAP government over the recent killings. The state Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring lashed out at the state government over what he termed as the deteriorating law and order situation while the state government had remained completely clueless about the same and that there was total anarchy prevailing in the state.
Former Punjab chief minister and BJP leader Capt Amarinder Singh alleged that the state was heading towards total lawlessness. Senior BJP leader Sunil Jakhar accused the chief minister Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government of being in a denial mode despite various incidents of target killings.
Referring to the sensational killings, the state BJP general secretary Subhash Sharma had accused the state government of being in a deep slumber.
