Govt under fire for making Moose Wala’s security cut public
CHANDIGARH : The Bhagwant Mann government is under fire following the broad daylight murder of singer Sidhu Moose Wala, a day after his security was curtailed by Punjab Police. Questions are being raised over the leak of details of his security withdrawal in the social media and publicising it for political gains.
Moose Wala’s name figured among 424 VIPs whose security was curtailed or withdrawn as per an official order which went viral on the social media groups on Saturday. According to the orders, two gunmen attached with him were withdrawn temporarily.
Not only these “strictly confidential” orders by the ADGP, security, Sharad Satya Chauhan, were leaked but were shared on the WhatsApp groups linked with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) after which the issue was widely debated on the social media.
The AAP social media wings even projected the cutting of the security cover as a war against the VIP culture while giving headlines on the web-posters “Akal Takht jathedar, dera heads, serving ADGPs and singer Moose Wala figure among 424 people whose security was cut”.
This is the third major security cut imposed on the protectees by the AAP government after coming to power. However, the orders this time were different from the past as it was clearly written in the letter that the withdrawal was temporary.
“These security personnel are being withdrawn on temporary basis in connection with emergent law and order duty,” the orders read. On May 2, when the security of some VIPs was withdrawn, political parties had raised questions on the government for putting security of protectees on risk by leaking the sensitive information.
Since Moose Wala was among prominent persons whose security was curtailed or withdrawn, the order was widely reported in the media with the names of other dignitaries, including some police officers involved in bursting of gangs.
The government’s “flip-flop” on the withdrawal of security from Akal Takht jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh had already put the government on the back foot.
“It is highly unprofessional and unethical on the part of the officers to expose the names of those whose security has been curtailed or completely withdrawn. Unfortunate that the governments nowadays make such sensitive information public irrespective of the security threat,” a former DGP said.
Former MLA Kanwar Sandhu, who has been repeatedly raising the issue, said: “Was the AAP and the DGP not throwing the opposition leaders and other whose security has been withdrawn or cut to the wolves?”
Punjab congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said the singer’s security had been withdrawn without assessing the threat perception. Warring demanded an FIR against the DGP and Mansa SSP for the lapse and being part of the criminal conspiracy.
State BJP chief Ashwani Sharma said “It is a sad day in the history of Punjab. The list of security withdrawal was made public with a propaganda that the AAP was curtailing the VIP culture but they made the vulnerable more vulnerable.”
BJP leader Sunil Jakhar also said the singer was killed due to the publicity stunt of the AAP. “CM Mann and his party were directly responsible for the attack. The AAP government, which has failed on all fronts, often do public stunts of removing security to divert the attention of the people,” said Jakhar.
Punjab DGP VK Bhawra, who addressed a press conference, following murder of Moose Wala, did not take any question from the media. The ADGP, security, also did not respond to repeated calls and text messages.