Amarinder warns police against intimidating party workers

Chandigarh, Dec 14 (IANS) Punjab Lok Congress (PLC) chief Amarinder Singh on Tuesday warned Punjab Police officials against intimidating his party workers at the behest of some local Congress leaders.

The former Chief Minister was reacting to reports of Punjab cops stopping PLC workers, who were putting up posters in the Malwa region.

Amarinder Singh said he had received reports that the police officials, "clearly acting at the bidding of local Congress leaders", were threatening to slap false cases against his party workers.

Amarinder Singh expressed surprise that such "mischievous acts" were being allowed by Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi.

"If the present government has the guts, let them take me on politically, instead of using these goons in uniform to do their dirty jobs," he said.

He also asked Channi to "rein in" such elements within the Congress and in the police force, "unless you are deliberately allowing such anarchy to plunge Punjab into political mayhem ahead of the Assembly polls, in which the ruling party is set to be shamefully trounced".

"I know how to deal with such officials who have compromised their integrity to appease their political masters," said Amarinder Singh, adding that if needed, he would not shy from taking the Centre's help to deal with the lawlessness being unleashed by such police personnel.

The former CM asserted that he would do anything needed to ensure that law and order is maintained in the state, which had witnessed "complete peace and political harmony" during his tenure as Chief Minister.

"All such partisan officials who are going around trying to terrorise my party workers should remember that they aren't above the law, and they will have to answer for their acts," warned Amarinder Singh, adding that such draconian acts will not be tolerated at any cost.

The job of the men in uniform is to maintain law and order and not to act in a partisan manner, said the PLC chief, warning the police personnel against becoming tools in the hands of the party in power.

The Channi government should ensure that not just PLC workers, but workers of the BJP or the Shiromani Akali Dal (Democratic), with which his party is headed for alliance or seat arrangement, should not be harassed in the state, he added.