AAP for Punjab Police protection to farmers; CM rejects demand
CHANDIGARH: The Aam Aadmi Party has demanded Punjab Police security for farmers from the state protesting at Delhi’s borders against the three agriculture marketing laws.
AAP’s national spokesperson and Punjab unit co-incharge Raghav Chadha wrote a letter to chief minister Amarinder Singh on the urgent need for police protection for protesters from Punjab, alleging threat of attack from BJP “goons”.
Trashing as “absurd” the AAP’s demand, CM Amarinder Singh said Arvind Kejriwal’s party has clearly lost sense of constitutional propriety and was ignorant of the law laid down by the highest court of the land.
He pointed out that as per a Union home ministry directive and a Supreme Court order, Punjab Police cannot stay in another state for more than 72 hours even for a protectee, which the farmers are in any case not.
Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar ridiculed the demand for deployment of Punjab Police to protect the farmers at the Delhi borders of the national capital. “Even the CBI cannot enter a state without permission. In any case, the Congress is not running an anarchist government in Punjab like Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi.
Responding to Jakhar’s remarks, Chadha also asked Amarinder to advise Congress leaders to eschew lying in public.
Citing the security cover provide to politicians, officers and other protectees of Punjab during their visits outside the state, he claimed these excuses showed the Congress’ intent to completely abdicate its duties towards farmers.