Leaders of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), the Congress and the radical Sikh outfit Dal Khalsa on Sunday accused Delhi police personnel of assaulting the brother of Lakha Sidhana, wanted by the Delhi police in connection with violence in the national capital on Republic Day.
Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu, taking to Twitter, said, “Shameful that Delhi Police is allowed to torture Punjabis in our domain and territory. It violates Punjab Govt’s authority - with whose connivance was it done?? Lessons should be learnt from Mamata Banerjee who put CBI behind bars when they encroached in W.Bengal’s jurisdiction.”
Mr. Lakha Sidhana had on April 10 levelled an allegation that the Delhi police abducted his cousin Gurdeep Singh from Patiala and thrashed him badly.
SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal said the manner in which the Delhi police personnel had “abducted and mercilessly thrashed” Gurdeep Singh (Mundi Sidhana), the brother of Lakha Sidhana, was condemnable.
“We want to ask Chief Minister Amarinder Singh why the Delhi police are being allowed to indulge in such acts. The Delhi police do not have any jurisdiction in Punjab but yet the Congress government in the State is allowing it a free hand to conduct raids with impunity and arrest youth on flimsy charges. This needs to be stopped immediately,” Mr. Badal said.
The Dal Khalsa accused the Delhi police of committing “human rights abuses,” and strongly condemned the incident.
Why CM silent?
Dal Khalsa chief Harpal Singh Cheema said, “It’s ridiculous that the Delhi police entered into Punjab unchecked and abducted Gurdeep and took him to the national capital where he was severely tortured. Lakha’s relatives were being targeted with no fault of theirs. It is ironic that Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has maintained a studied silence and not questioned the Delhi police for violating the Punjab government’s constitutional authority.”
