PunjabChief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday directed the Director Generalof Police to register cases under the Disaster Management Act against Oppositionleaders and workers who have been staging dharnas in the state over the pastfew days.
Termingsuch acts of the Shiromani Akali (SAD) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) asirresponsible and utter violation of the strict curbs in place in the state inview of the pandemic spread, the Chief Minister asked DGP Dinkar Gupta to takeaction against them under the law.
Ata time when people could not gather even for weddings and funerals, leaders andworkers of these parties were behaving in a reckless manner, showing no concernfor the safety and health of Punjabis, said the Chief Minister, adding that suchbehaviour could not be allowed or tolerated.
Pointingout that the AAP dharna yesterday was in fact in violation of the weekendcurfew in place in the state, Captain Amarinder said such dharnas and politicalgatherings were potential super-spreaders and had to be firmly tackled. The lawshould take its course, he told the DGP, adding that political leaders had abig responsibility towards the society, which these parties had shunned, thusjeopardising the lives of Punjab’s people.
This,he reiterated, was not the time to play political games and indulge in dirtypoliticking but to come together to fight the pandemic to the finish.
Itmay be recalled that even before the Covid restrictions in the second wave wereimposed by the Chief Minister, he had announced that the ruling Congress inPunjab will not hold any political gatherings.