Amarinder writes to Rajnath demands dismissal of Badal govt, CBI probe into jailbreak

Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh on Monday wrote to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh demanding dismissal of the Parkash Singh Badal-led Akali-BJP government and a CBI probe into the sensational jailbreak in Nabha in which six dreaded criminals escaped.

Blaming the Akali government in Punjab for Sunday’s Nabha jailbreak, the former Chief Minister accused the Badals of trying to polarise the state on communal lines ahead of the Assembly polls, just as they had always done when faced with defeat.

Amarinder said he has written to the Home Minister and the Chief Election Commissioner demanding dismissal of the Badal government and immediate imposition of the Model Code of Conduct in the state.

He also demanded a CBI probe into the incident, saying a fair investigation would not be possible under the Punjab Police.

The Congress leader said that the four gangsters who had escaped along with the Khalistani terrorist from jail belonged to Muktsar and Jalalabad area from which the Badals hailed.

Amarinder also warned that the SYL issue had the potential of escalating into an explosive situation, which could even trigger the revival of terrorism in Punjab.

Warning that the entire belt from Sardulgarh to Abhor would go dry if the Supreme Court verdict on SYL is implemented, he said any move to deprive the people of the state of the much-needed river water could lead to the outbreak of violence, culminating in disastrous consequences for Punjab.

Stating that the earlier outbreak of terrorist violence in Punjab had arisen from the Anandpur Sahib resolution, with water the main issue of dispute, Amarinder claimed 35,000 people had been killed earlier.

Amarinder said the Supreme Court should have first assessed the quantum of water available with Punjab before coming out with its verdict, and stressed that Haryana had no riparian right to Sutlej or Ravi water. He noted that Punjab had never staked claim to Yamuna river water, which it could easily have done.

In a separate communication, Amarinder has also written to Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi urging imposition of the Code of Conduct without further delay and holding of the Assembly elections under President?s Rule.

In his letter to the Home minister, the Punjab Congress chief said that going by the trend of the incumbent government in the state, “with the elections coming close and with their chances of winning very meagre, they would try to resort to polarisation of communities”.