Patronage to gangsters endangering peace: SAD

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Thursday alleged that active patronage to gangsters and goons by senior Congress functionaries and ministers had endangered peace in Punjab.

Demanding Centre’s intervention, former minister Maheshinder Singh Grewal said goons and gangsters did not have any fear of the law and were indulging in shoot-outs in broad daylight to settle scores with each other and political rivals.

“The state police have abdicated its responsibility and are unable to maintain law and order,” he said in a press statement, referring to some sensational murders in the past few weeks.

Grewal said the party urged the Union home ministry to summon the state chief secretary and police chief to ask why they were failing in their duty and dispatch appropriate security forces to instil confidence in law abiding citizens of the state.