Bathinda (Punjab) [India] : Citing CCTV footage purportedly showing a man grabbing a woman's neck in a bid to snatch her chain, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal launched a blistering attack on the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab, alleging a complete breakdown in law and order under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
"The law and order situation has completely collapsed in Punjab under the @BhagwantMann-led @AamAadmiParty govt. Murders, drug trafficking, land grabbing, illegal mining and such incidents of snatching have become an everyday affair," the former deputy chief minister posted from his official handle on X.
Labelling CM Mann a 'puppet' of Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convenor, Arvind Kejriwal, the SAD chief posted, "The situation demands immediate attention, but the "Puppet" CM is busy playing driver to his Delhi Boss Arvind Kejriwal and assisting the latter in election campaigning in Madhya Pradesh, Chhatisgarh and other poll-bound States."
Meanwhile, Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu also took a swipe at the Punjab CM over an alleged decline in the state's law and order situation.
Responding to CCTV footage of the purported chain-snatching bid, Sidhu posted from his X handle, "Chain snatching, extortions, gruesome murders are daily routine in Punjab! [?]The Home Minister and CM [?]are in deep slumber - this Ostrich mentality will spell Dooms Day for Punjab's Democracy- fear is the name of the game! Wake up, CM Saheb. This is happening in Bathinda."
The footage purportedly shows the woman walking on a street in Bathinda late at night when a man grabs her neck and tries to tear off her chain.
Earlier, following the summons by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to Kejriwal in connection with the Delhi excise policy case, Badal had demanded a probe into the Punjab 'excise scam' as well.
"Twin developments, including the rejection of the bail plea of ex-Delhi CM Manish Sisodia and summoning of Aam Aadmi Party Convener, Arvind Kejriwal in the Delhi Excise Policy Scam on Nov 2, calls for a thorough probe into the Punjab Excise Scam too," the SAD chief posted on X.
He also alleged the involvement of CM Bhagwant Mann and Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha in the alleged scam.
ED summoned Kejriwal on November 2 for questioning in the Delhi Excise policy case.
However, the Delhi CM skipped the ED date and wrote to the central agency instead, demanding that the summons be withdrawn.