Punjab CM condemns attack on BJP MLA from Abohar

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 27

Strongly condemning the attack on BJP MLA from Abohar, Arun Narang, allegedly by angry farmers protesting the Centre’s Farm Laws, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Saturday warned of strict action against anyone trying to disturb the state’s peace by taking the law into their hands.

Even as he urged the farmers not to indulge in such acts of violence, the Chief Minister appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to urgently resolve the crisis triggered by the Farm Laws to prevent the situation from escalating further.

Read also: BJP's Abohar MLA Arun Narang, some other party leaders thrashed in Malout town

Amarinder also directed DGP Dinkar Gupta to take strict action, under the law, against the perpetrators, who also clashed with the police personnel who tried to rescue the MLA.

Gurmail Singh PPS, SP Headquarters, Faridkot, was, in fact, injured while trying to save and evacuate the MLA from the protesting crowd. He also suffered a lathi blow on his head, causing his turban to fall off. He was admitted in Civil Hospital, Malout, where the incident took place.

The DGP later said criminal cases will be registered against the suspects who assaulted the MLA and police officers. He said statements of local BJP leaders were being recorded and relevant sections of law would be imposed on its basis.

With the simmering tensions between the Centre, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the farmers, who have been fighting for their rights for the past four months, intensifying, a number of incidents of protests against BJP leaders were reported from different parts of Punjab today. The Chief Minister said while protesting is the democratic right of the farmers, violence of any sorts would not be tolerated, and the law and order situation in the state would not be allowed to be disturbed at any cost. He said barring the assault on the MLA, other BJP leaders were safely evacuated from the protest sites. 

Seeking the Prime Minister’s immediate intervention to resolve the tensions, the Chief Minister said any further delay on the part of the central government would trigger further unrest among the agitating farmers.

Reacting to the demand of Punjab BJP leaders for his resignation over the issue, the Chief Minister said instead of trying to take political mileage from today’s incident, they should pressurise their central leadership to withdraw the controversial legislations.

Highly condemnable: Speaker

Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Rana KP Singh has strongly condemned the attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party MLA from Abohar, Arun Narang at Malout today.

In a statement issued here today, the Speaker said, such incidents had no place in a democratic set up. “It is not only unacceptable, but highly condemnable that an elected representative of the people was mercilessly thrashed in full public view”, he said.

“We will not allow anyone to take law into their own hands,” he said, while adding, such incidents are aimed at maligning the farmers’ agitation and weakening their cause.