Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann (Express File Photo)A day after a Punjab Police team gunned down two criminals allegedly involved in the murder of singer Sidhu Moosewala, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann Thursday said the state will be soon freed of gangsters and drug peddlers even as he accused the previous Akali and the Congress governments of patronising them.
“It is my guarantee to the people that we will not allow anyone to disturb hard-earned peace in the state and every effort will be made to maintain peace and communal harmony in Punjab by making it free from gangsters and drug smugglers,” Mann said.
The chief minister issued the statement, through a video message, after Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav along with Anti-Gangster Task Force chief Pramod Ban and other senior police officers briefed him about the Amritsar encounter where gangsters Jagroop Singh Roopa and Manpreet Singh alias Mannu Kusa were gunned down in a nearly five-hour-long encounter.
While complimenting the state police for the operation, Mann alleged that the gangsters and drug peddlers were patronised by the previous governments.
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“Under the protection of Akalis and Congress, these gangsters and drug peddlers had a free run because their masters used them for their vested political interests,” Mann said, adding that after assuming charge, his government accorded top priority to free Punjab from gangsters and drug smugglers.
“The day is not far when all of them will be behind the bars,” he added.
The CM said Wednesday’s action of the Punjab Police was in consonance with the “zero tolerance policy” of the state government against gangsters and anti-social elements.
“The Punjab Police carried out the operation in a highly professional manner by displaying exemplary courage,” he said, adding the state is indebted to them for “their heroic deeds”. The Punjab Police has upheld its glorious legacy of combating the anti-social and anti-national elements head-on to safeguard the lives and property of people, Mann said, adding the action by the police has made every Punjabi feel proud.
Mann assured the people that no gangster, drug peddler or any anti-social element will be allowed to jeopardise the hard-earned peace of the state and severest of severe action will be taken against them.
Meanwhile, Cabinet minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer appealed to notorious criminals active in state to shun the path of violence and return to the mainstream. Hayer said the government is making all efforts for the eventual rehabilitation of the remaining criminals.
“I appeal to the gangsters who are still at large to shun the path of crime and come back to the social mainstream. Our government will adopt a soft stand towards them. But the gangsters will have to meet their fate under the law,” he said.
Earlier, criminals were patronised by politicians and the police but under the Mann government, no one will be allowed to disturb the hard-earned peace of the state at any cost, Hayer said.
“The dreadful criminals should bear in mind that they cannot evade law any longer and the path adopted by them will lead them to doom,” he added.
Hayer also appealed to the youngsters not to get lured by the gun culture.
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