SAD leader Majithia’s security scaled down, not withdrawn: Punjab Police

Punjab Police on Wednesday said that they have scaled down but not completely withdrawn Shiromani Akali Dal leader and former state revenue minister Bikram Singh Majithia’s security.

“Majithia’s security has been scaled down on the recommendation of the security review committee. A pilot vehicle with ample number of police personnel is still with him,” special director general of police, law and order, Arpit Shukla said.

He said that the review is done from time to time and action is taken depending on the threat perception to any protectee.

On Tuesday, Majithia took to social media to announce that his security cover had been trimmed by the Punjab government. He claimed to have been granted Z-plus security on the Centre’s recommendations in 2010 when the SAD-BJP government was in power, but now he is left with only one guard. “All guards were asked to report back to their parent battalions on March 29, while I was travelling in another state,” the Akali leader said.

“Just three days ago, the police permitted bulletproofing of my car citing threat perception to me and my family. The very next day, my security was withdrawn. When they failed in silencing my voice, they withdrew my security,” Majithia, who is a vocal critic of chief minister Bhagwant Mann, said.

“I have apprised top police officials in the state but there is no tangible reasoning for the withdrawal of security. This is a ploy to eliminate me just as the Mann-led AAP government did by removing the security cover of singer Sidhu Moose Wala (in May 2022),” Majithia alleged in a video posted on social media.

Witch-hunt by AAP govt against Majithia: Sukhbir

Former SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, who is Majithia’s brother-in-law, also slammed the Punjab government over the withdrawal of Majithia’s security. “Withdrawal of Majithia’s entire Z-plus security cover confirms beyond doubt the dangerous and deadly designs of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government against the SAD leadership,” Badal posted on X.

“This decision has to be seen alongside the witch-hunt launched by the AAP government against Majithia. It (the AAP government) was trying to falsely implicate him (Majithia) in a drug case after their supremo Arvind Kejriwal apologised in writing to the Akali leader (Majithia) for his false allegations on the drug issue,” Badal said.

He also mentioned the bid on his life outside the Golden Temple in Amritsar on December 4 by former militant Narain Singh Chaura. “Withdrawal of security to Majithia has to be seen with the government’s complicity in the failed lethal attempt on my life, an attempt foiled only with the divine intervention of Guru Sahiban,” the former deputy chief minister alleged.

Political vendetta behind rash decision: Jakhar

Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar also condemned the AAP government’s move. “Whether the security of Majithia has been removed for political reasons is a matter of debate for another day, but I would like to underscore to the Bhagwant Mann government that personal whims, fancies and political vendetta must never dictate such rash decisions. We all have earlier witnessed incidents (the killing of Sidhu Moose Wala) following the removal of security by this government amid much fanfare. Settling personal scores by withdrawing security of a leader belittles the chief minister’s chair, if the CM cares,” Jakhar said.

AAP Rajya Sabha member Swati Maliwal also took to X to criticise her party’s government in Punjab, saying: “No security for Sidhu Moose Wala and those who need it, but hundreds of gunmen for Kejriwal, his goon Bibhav Kumar and other imports. State chopper for Kejriwal, chartered planes to ferry him, and lavish bungalows in Chandigarh for his cronies. Security of prominent opposition leaders being removed. Punjab Super CM Kejriwal, politics has its limits, don’t gamble with people’s lives. This is unethical, undemocratic and dangerous. Don’t use Punjab for cheap selfish gains.”