Bajwa demands judicial probe into assault on Punjab IAS officer in Uttrakhand

Wednesday, 26/06/2013

http://www.punjabnewsline.com/news/bajwa-demands-judicial-probe-into-assault-on-punjab-ias-officer-in-uttrakhand/81645

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) President Partap Singh Bajwa today strongly condemned attack on Punjab IAS officer Kahan Singh Pannu by a mob of Sikh youth at Gobind Ghat in Uttrakhand and demanded judicial probe into the incident.

In a statement issued here Bajwa said that the incident of assault seems a planned conspiracy. He said that it was ironical that a senior IAS officer who was representing Punjab Government in rescue operations in Uttrakhand was assaulted in the presence of three personal security guards of Punjab Police and other officials. He said that the very fact that somebody in the mob video graphed the assault on IAS officer and loaded it on You Tube which indicate towards deep rooted conspiracy to humiliate and harass Pannu. He said that incident was shameful and blot on the face of SAD-BJP government.

Bajwa said that Pannu who is working as Director General of School Education has recently earned displeasure of a Minister for his proactive role in a scam in the department. He said that the selection of Mr.Pannu for evacuation mission also smells rat while there is full fledged disaster management department headed by an officer of Principal Secretary. He said that Mr.Pannu was sent to Uttrakhand when he was busy in preparing of result of Punjab State Teacher Eligibility Test.

He said that judicial inquiry should be held to identify the persons involved in physical assault and brought them to book to protect the dignity of services. He rued that the Punjab cabinet which met at Chandigarh on June 24 to endorse government efforts to rescue stranded pilgrims from Gobind Ghat didn’t take notice of the assault of its officer who represented the state. He said that it would demoralize the state government officers. He said that Gobind Dham incident was reflection of lawlessness prevailing in Punjab. He said that people of Punjab were agitated against SAD-BJP government and such incidents are bound to happen in future if things would not improve.

PPCC president said that the video on You Tube has shown that nobody in the mob was protesting against delay in their evacuation. He said that Pannu was beaten up taking an excuse that he had used abusive language and hurt the religious sentiments of community members. The video shows turban of Pannu spinning in the air. “Such behavior against senior member of civil services was deplorable”, he added and asked Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to identify and act against the guilty.