Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday said the AAP government was in control of the law and order situation in the state and will not “let it become Afghanistan”. Questions are being raised over the delay in hunting down the radical leader.
In a short video message, this time in Punjabi, Mann said apart from trying to win the hearts and minds of the people, the government was committed to making the state safe.
“We will not allow those who want to play politics over religion to succeed. You have reposed your confidence in me and I assure you that I will not let Punjab go back to its old days. I won’t let Punjab turn into Afghanistan,” he said.
This was the second address of Mann in three days but this time he chose to speak in Punjabi, indicating it was aimed at a state audience.
“We want to ensure that the youth of the state get better education, employment and not get used by nefarious elements. You realise the futility of this when it starts to impact your own child,” Mann said.
With the opposition claiming that police picked up many innocent youngsters on the pretext of a crackdown on Amritpal Singh, Mann said the state government was committed to ensure that there was no breakdown in law and order.
“I will not allow the social fabric of the state to be hampered. I assure the people that the designs of those hell-bent on disturbing peace will be foiled,” he said.
Mann’s message comes at a time when the Punjab Police is being criticised over delays in tracking down Amritpal despite a massive search operation. With reports indicating that he would have sneaked out of the state by now, the pressure is mounting on cops to nab him.
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