BJP, Congress attack AAP govt over Punjab AG's comment on Moosewala murder

Chandigarh: The BJP and the Congress Saturday targeted the AAP government in Punjab, claiming that the Bhagwant Mann dispensation has admitted in the Supreme Court that singer Sidhu Moosewala was killed after his security cover was pruned.

Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar alleged that the AAP government cannot escape the liability for the gruesome murder of Moosewala and Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa said a murder case should be registered against those were responsible for scaling down the singer's security cover.

Their statements came a day after Punjab's Advocate General (AG) Gurminder Singh said in the top court that Moosewala was killed after his security was scaled down. The AG was on Friday arguing in a matter related to the opening of a road outside the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's official residence in Chandigarh on an experimental basis.

Singh also mentioned that there was an attack on the police intelligence headquarters in 2022 and rockets were hurled at the building.

The apex court has stayed the opening of the road.

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta noted that both the Centre and the Punjab government have opposed the opening of the road, which has been closed since the 1980s, owing to threat perception.

On April 22, the Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered the opening of the 500-metre road, connecting the Sukhna lake to Nayagaon in Chandigarh, on a trial basis from May 1.

Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu, popularly known as Sidhu Moosewala, was shot dead in Punjab's Mansa district on May 29, 2022.

In a statement, Jakhar said, "The Mann government first downgraded the security, then brazenly publicised it and also took credit for this decision. Now with this admission in the court by the state advocate general, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann remains equally culpable for the murder of Moosewala."

Seeking punitive action against those responsible for downgrading the security of the singer, Jakhar said the Mann government changed its stand to suit its convenience.

"First they downgraded Moosewala's security and later admitted this decision led to the killing. Now the state is using this as an alibi to save its skin and to ensure that the road outside the CM residence in Chandigarh remains blocked much to the inconvenience of residents of the city and surrounding areas," he added.

"The information of this security pruning was broadcasted with impunity by leaders of AAP to secure political brownie points," Jakhar said.

Jakhar also accused the state government of following a 'pick and choose' policy of providing security to personalities.

Congress leader Bajwa also demanded stringent legal action against those who 'leaked' the information related to the reduction of the security cover of the singer.

"Murder of Moosewala is not a comedy film. It was the most gruesome murder that ever happened in Punjab in the past several decades. Therefore, the Punjab government has to fix the responsibility. It cannot just run away from its duties," Bajwa said in a Congress statement.