AAP rule harmed Punjab’s image: Sunil Jakhar

Chandigarh, March 19

Raising questions over the police operation to arrest Amritpal, former Member Parliament (MP) and Senior BJP leader Sunil Jakhar on Sunday called it “ill-timed, ill-conceived and botched up”.

He tore into Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for defaming Punjab on the global stage by providing separatist voices an international audience at a time when G20 delegates were visiting Amritsar.

“The sky would not have fallen had the government waited for two more days the G20 leaders to leave the city, especially when the government had been a passive spectator since the February 23 Ajnala incident,” Jakhar said.

“The police should have been allowed to act freely and this charlatan should have been taken to task at Ajnala itself,” Jakhar said, pointing out that it was the state government which also took refuge behind pious name of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji to justify its gross inaction against mobsters who were misguided by the pro-Khalistan activist.

“The excessive show of force in trying to nab him now by government has only added to the hype created around this man. He is a small-time hooligan and the police should have been allowed to deal with him as such. Inept handling of the situation by the government has provided the separatist agenda an international audience,” the former MP added.

The government was worried about the embarrassment from the interviews of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, which have severely undermined the authority of the state police. Jakhar said the timing of police action was also an attempt to negate the negative political fallout of these interviews as well as gathering for Moosewala’s barsi.

Rejecting any suggestion that the operation was pre-planned, Jakhar said Punjabis would never forgive AAP for defaming the state.