Harpreet Bajwa By

Express News Service

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Government on Tuesday withdrew the security cover of Lok Insaaf Party (LIP) MLA Simranjit Singh Bains, as he came in support of the Nihangs who chopped off the hand of Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Harjit Singh. The legislator had said that the Nihangs did so to avenge the wrongdoings committed by the Punjab Police.

Sources said that the state police has withdrawn security extended to the MLA by its four gunmen. Confirming this, Ludhiana Police Commissioner Rakesh Agrawal said all the gunmen expressed a desire to stop giving the MLA security as they felt his comments insulted the police.

He had said that there was resentment against the Punjab Police because they had recently beaten up innocent people. The cops need to introspect why the Nihangs were forced to pick up the kirpan.

Even three ministers had on Monday demanded registration of a case against Bains for inciting communal disharmony. Bains should be immediately booked under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 and the National Disaster Management Act 2005, as well as relevant sections of the IPC, the minsters said.

Cabinet Ministers Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Balbir Singh Sidhu and Aruna Choudhary condemned Bains for his provocative and vile remarks and asked him to give up Punjab Police security if he did not trust the force.

The ministers also demanded an unequivocal apology from Bains for politicising the issue for cheap publicity at a time when the entire Police force was putting their own lives at stake to save the lives of people from the COVID-19 pandemic and working 24X7 for providing relief to the needy.

Such derogatory statements against the force are unpardonable, said cabinet minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa while castigating Bains for trying to derive political mileage of this tragic incident and at a time when the country is facing unprecedented challenges.