Less than a week after singer Sidhu Moose Wala was shot-dead, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab government today said that they would be restoring security of 424 VVIPs from June 7.
This announcement comes following the court hearing on former minister OP Soni’s petition, which which challenged the government’s decision to curtail the security cover for the VVIPs.
The court asked the government to explain its reasons to reduce security. The government’s representatives said that at the time it needed the security personnel for Operation Bluestar’s anniversary on June 6. This was reference to the military offensive in June 1984 to eliminate terrorists, who had dug in at the Golden Temple.
Following the death of Moose Wala, Punjab government has faced a lot of criticism for cutting back on security that was provided for the VVIPs. Now, when the government has announced about restoring the security, opposition parties are quick to note the u-turn.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa tweeted, “Kejriwal-Mann duo bite the dust; again. They refuted back in High Court on their claim of reducing VIP culture in Punjab by saying that it was a temporary withdrawal. AAP’s cheap stunt cost Punjabis a precious life. Punjab’s youth would never forgive them for their hypocrisy.”
