Summon me, not my officers: Capt to Governor

Chandigarh, January 2

Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh on Saturday took exception to the Governor summoning the state DGP and Chief Secretary for a report on law and order instead of summoning him. He said the BJP charge that law and order in Punjab had “collapsed” was a bid to divert public attention from the contentious farm laws and farmers’ agitation.

The CM said if the Governor had any concerns over the law and order situation, he should have taken up the matter with him as he held the Home portfolio. Capt Amarinder slammed the state BJP leadership for its “irresponsible” utterances, alleging there was a vicious game plan to undermine the farmers’ peaceful protest by calling a few incidents of damage to some telecom towers as a law and order issue.

Stop the slander, he tells state BJP

Instead of slandering the farmers by calling them ‘Naxalites and Khalistanis,’ the BJP should press the central leadership to revoke the black laws. —Punjab CM

“These damaged towers can be and are being repaired. But what about the lives of farmers protesting at the Delhi borders in the biting cold,” he asked, expressing shock that no BJP leader had expressed sorrow over the deaths of farmers during the stir. Instead of slandering the farmers by calling them “Naxalites and Khalistanis,” the Punjab BJP should press its central leadership to revoke the farm laws, the CM said, observing that it had taken just a day for the Governor to respond to the state BJP’s complaint “whereas the Amendment Bills passed by the Punjab House are yet to be sent to the President for approval.”

On the Punjab BJP alleging an assault on democracy, Captain remarked: “A party that has virtually destroyed every single democratic institution in the country has no business calling anyone else undemocratic.” — TNS