Phoolka plans 100-km cycle rally to expose VIP culture

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, March 1

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader HS Phoolka will lead a 100-km cycle rally from Ludhiana to Chandigarh on March 29 and 30 to spread awareness against the VIP culture in Punjab.

Addressing mediapersons here today, Phoolka said, “It is shocking that money is being spent lavishly on VVIPs even though a large number of government employees have not been paid their salaries for the past several months.”

The AAP leader said information gathered from various sources, including the RTI and affidavits submitted in courts, showed that almost all VIPs in the state had opted for police protection.

“In Punjab, 1,294 VIPs are being protected by 4,121 police personnel. The remaining 7,758 police staff is guarding the rest of the state’s 2.7-crore population. About Rs9.28 crore is spent annually on VIP security outside Punjab,” he said.

A senior Supreme Court lawyer who unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha elections from Ludhiana, Phoolka claimed the Punjab Chief Minister’s entourage was the largest in the country, and even bigger than that of the Prime Minister. “It includes 40 vehicles, including a Hyundai Elantra, Toyota Camrys, seven Toyota Innovas, eight Ambassadors and two police Gypsies. Besides, there is a Toyota Land Cruiser mounted with mobile jammers, fire brigade vehicles and health vans,” he said.

Phoolka said in Punjab, each MLA was allowed four gunmen, each MP six gunmen, a Cabinet minister 16 and Chief Parliamentary Secretary 11. The bureaucrats, industrialists and other retired and serving officials are also entitled for security. “It has been observed that, on an average, each minister has 20 to 40 security personnel attached with him. We promise the people freedom from such pseudo culture and deployment of the police force for the primary work it is meant for,” he said.