Punjab CM, DGP to be responsible if harmed: Bajwa to UT police chief

In a letter to Chandigarh DGP, Bajwa said move was in line with whims and fancies of CM

CHANDIGARH : Days after the Punjab government decided to withdraw his police cover, Congress Rajya Sabha MP Partap Singh Bajwa on Tuesday shot off a letter to the Chandigarh Police that chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh and DGP Dinkar Gupta will be solely responsible for any harm, if any, caused to his family following this step.

In a letter to Chandigarh DGP Sanjay Baniwal, Bajwa said the Punjab Police security was arbitrarily removed due to “political interferences and at the whims and fancies of Amarinder Singh” to deter him from performing his public duty of questioning the government for acting against the public interest. The withdrawal of security was motivated by political considerations as he had, over the past few years, repeatedly highlighted the politico-police-drug nexus, production and distribution of illicit liquor, under state patronage and rampant illegal mining in the state of Punjab, he wrote.

Citing the threat to his family since the days of terrorism, Bajwa said the security given by the Punjab Police was withdrawn overnight on the orders of Dinkar Gupta.

Bajwa and Amarinder have had a long-running battle of oneupmanship which escalated last week when the former blamed the state government for the hooch tragedy that claimed 121 lives in Tarn Taran, Amritsar and Gurdaspur districts.

Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar accused Bajwa of acting at the instance of the BJP after Union home minister Amit Shah upgraded his security cover from ‘Y’ to ‘Z’ category and then the state government withdrew the state security, stating that he “virtually faced no threat”.

‘POLITICISATION OF THREAT ASSESSMENT ’

Alleging brazen politicisation of threat assessment reports, Bajwa, in a separate stronglyworded letter, accused DGP Dinkar Gupta of complete abdication of professional integrity and impartiality in the discharge of his duties. “Due to political interference, you have withdrawn my security provided by the Punjab Police, contrary to all canons of propriety, independence and professional ethics and in utter disregard to established rules and regulations,” he alleged.

The MP said his threat perception stood confirmed and validated by several intelligence reports over the past few years, but due to political interference and manipulation, a bogus threat assessment report was prepared overnight by the Punjab Police to rule out any threat. The state police apparatus was acting on the whims and fancies of the chief minister, by solely furnishing their reports depending on his convenience, he wrote.

Bajwa said the ostensible grounds of denying security on the pretext of having a central security cover was specious. “I would like to point out that Parkash Singh Badal, Sukhbir Singh Badal and Bikramjit Singh Majithia (Akali leaders) all have been provided security by the Central government as well as the state government. Why have you not withdrawn their security on the same grounds?” he asked the DGP, accusing him of sacrificing his independence at the altar of political expediency.

Due to political interference, you (DGP Dinkar Gupta) have withdrawn my security contrary to all canons of propriety and professional ethics in utter disregard to rules and regulations PARTAP SINGH BAJWA, Cong MP