Khangura attributes Ludhiana violence to criminalisation of politics - 05/12/2009
LUDHIANA, December 5: Qila Raipur MLA Jassi Khangura today condemned the police failure in preventing the violence in Ludhiana and attributed it to the criminalization of politics which has taken place with the patronage of the Badal clan. He observed, instigating youth with false promises of jobs and contracts for the aim of perpetrating violence against political opponents during elections has been a favoured tactic of the current administration.Now it is a reality that the same youth are feeling alienated and disillusioned with the government, which had failed to deliver on any of the promises it had made over the past three years. “When you fail to meet their expectations, particularly when you yourself have raised these, such situations are bound to arise”, Khangura said, while holding the state government squarely responsible for yesterday’s violence in the city.
Khangura stated that the general behaviour of unemployed youth recruited by the Badals and their henchmen in Punjab was unacceptable as in many cases with the political patronage of the ruling administration these unsavoury elements think that they are above the law. He added that “this administration has made it almost impossible for the police to control disobedience and public disorder. They usually dare not arrest the offending youth for fear of annoying their political masters.”
While condemning all forms of violence, the Qila Raipur MLA said, the police must be held accountable as to why they failed to listen to and register the complaint of the migrant labourers for whom getting looted and robbed at gunpoint had become a routine. “They have a right to seek protection and when they do not get it and instead get jailed and lathi-charged it is understandable for them to protest”, he pointed out.
The situation needed to be handled with care but the police and administration failed. Instead it tried to add fuel to the fire by instigating some misguided youth against the protestors. “This is a classic case of police abdicating its responsibility and handing over the situation to the saboteurs”, he remarked, saying instead of preventing violence the police clearly endeavoured to encourage it.
Appealing for the people to maintain peace and harmony, Khangura warned against creating social tensions in the state. “Punjab cannot afford yet more turmoil”, he observed, while stating that all the political parties must rise above their partisan interests and considerations and contribute towards restoring peace and harmony in the city.