Punjab beginning to resemble turbulent 1990s: Randhawa

Chandigarh: Reacting to the alleged murder of an ASI and "vandalism and arson by inmates inside jails", Congress MP from Gurdaspur and former deputy chief minister of Punjab, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, on Sunday said the state was "currently passing through an extremely sensitive phase and that the situation is beginning to resemble the turbulent 1990s".He warned, "If immediate steps are not taken, the coming days could become even more dangerous."In a written statement, Randhawa said, "Gangsters have effectively taken control of Punjab's jails. Prisoners are openly indulging in hooliganism, vandalism and arson inside prisons, while videos show inmates possessing mobile phones, clearly indicating the complete failure of the jail administration. Criminals are being provided VIP facilities inside Punjab's prisons."On the "daylight" murder of ASI Joga Singh, the Congress MP said the incident had "shaken the entire state". "If police officers themselves are not safe, one can easily imagine the condition of ordinary citizens," he added.Randhawa said, "Punjab's situation is gradually turning into that of the 1990s, when both police personnel and common citizens were regularly targeted."MSID:: 131294047 413 |