Chandigarh, Sep 22 A political slugfest erupted in Punjab on Tuesday after opposition leaders claimed that police personnel, in a purported advisory, have been asked to avoid wearing uniform while travelling to or returning from duty, which the Punjab Police dubbed “fake”, with the ruling AAP slamming the politicians from rival outfits for trying to “defame” the state police.
Opposition leaders, including state Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia hit out at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government over the alleged “advisory”, claiming that even police personnel are not safe in the state.
AAP leader Baltej Pannu questioned Warring and Majithia for circulating an audio clip without verifying its authenticity or facts.
Police said no advisory has been issued asking police personnel to avoid wearing their uniform while travelling to or returning from duty, and that a purported advisory circulating online is fake.
The clarification came after the “advisory” surfaced on social media. Several opposition leaders also claimed that the Punjab Police has issued an advisory for its personnel to wear uniform only after reaching a police station.
They also shared an unverified audio clip, in which a woman is heard asking police personnel to wear civil dress when they are coming to a police station.
There is also a reference to the recent killing of Assistant Sub-Inspector Harjit Singh in Amritsar in the audio clip.
The opposition leaders also claimed that according to the “advisory”, a badge, an identity card or any other item that makes someone’s police identity noticeable should not be displayed in public.
However, officials clarified that no such advisory has been issued by the Punjab Police headquarters or any other office of the state police.
Such messages circulating on social media are fake and should be ignored, police said in a post on X.
Citizens and police personnel are advised to rely only on official channels for authentic information, they added.
Reacting to the alleged advisory shared by opposition leaders on their social media handles, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said the Congress, the SAD and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) speak lies all the time. No such advisory has been issued, Cheema asserted.
“The BJP, the Akali Dal and the Congress are lying. These parties today have no agenda. Every time, they float a false agenda and share it with the media to spread it,” he said.
Cheema asked the opposition leaders to delete the “false” information shared on their social media handles and stop trying to “defame the Punjab Police”.
Asked about any action in the matter, he said it is under investigation and steps will be taken against whoever is found guilty.
Earlier, several opposition leaders criticised the AAP government over the alleged “advisory” and demanded Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s resignation.
“Punjab Police, once known for eliminating terrorism and maintaining law and order, has allegedly been rendered helpless under Bhagwant Mann’s leadership,” Majithia alleged in a post on X.
Officers have been asked to wear their uniform only after reaching police stations, while viral audio clips claim that police are helpless before gangsters, he added.
“Fear prevails among Punjabis over the deteriorating law and order situation. If Bhagwant Mann cannot handle Punjab, he should resign,” the SAD leader said.
Warring said the alleged advisory has vindicated the Congress’s concerns that even police personnel are not safe in Punjab.
Reacting to the government’s denial of the “advisory”, he said the issue is not merely about the authenticity of the document but about the security concerns being faced by the police force.
“While I do not believe that the advisory note is fake as claimed by the government, the issue is not about the genuineness of the document, but the harsh fact concerning the security of the policemen,” the Congress leader said, pointing out how police personnel are being targeted and killed without any fear of law in Punjab.
Referring to the recent killing of the ASI in Amritsar, Warring said the incident was proof of the security challenges facing the force.
“The government should accept one thing: the situation in Punjab is bad,” he said, while holding the AAP regime responsible for the “collapse” of law and order in the state.
(PTI News)
