At SP’s house, Badal gives lip service

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Kapurthala, July 29

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today met Baljit Singh’s wife and children and expressed his sympathies to them ahead of the funeral. He, however, did not make any fresh announcements for the family even as it had been since yesterday seeking a job for each of the three children and an adequate amount of ex-gratia.

After a close-door meeting with Baljit Singh’s wife Kulwant Kaur, son Maninder Singh and daughters Parminder Kaur and Ravinder Kaur for about half an hour at their house in the Sant Nagar locality, Badal came out saying: “They are like my family and I have taken their full responsibility as the Chief Minister. Our government will always be at their beck and call and leave no stone unturned to help them in this hour of grief.”

When asked about the family’s demands, the CM ducked the matter, “There has been no demand from their side before me. Do families of martyrs ever raise any demand?” Maninder Singh had yesterday sought a post of Superintendent of Police (SP) for himself, besides jobs of tehsildar for his both sisters. He and his mother Kulwant Kaur had yesterday even threatened that they would not perform the last rites till there was an assurance from the state government on their demands. They were, however, cajoled by former Akali minister Bibi Jagir Kaur and senior police officers after which they agreed to lay the body of the martyr to rest today.

Badal chose not to give any straight answers on issues of ignoring intelligence inputs, infiltration and delay in provision of bulletproof jackets to policemen. He said the blame game on intelligence failure should be avoided at this point and that the DGP had clarified on most issues. “In fact, it is the entire nation which is accountable for such a lapse. If public keeps a tab on such suspicious movements and informs well in time, there will not be any trouble at all”, he said.

Over the reports of infiltration about a week ahead of the terrorist attack at the Dinanagar police station, he said, “Everyone knows where the terrorists come from. But I do not want to pass the buck to the BSF and dent their morale”. On certain lapses by the police during the encounter, the CM said such an incident happened after 15-16 years in Punjab which could be a reason. He, however, backed the Punjab police, saying they were fully equipped and there was no need to take support of the Army.