Khaira questions police cover criteria
Saturday, 09/11/2013
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20131109/punjab.htm#8
Chandigarh : Former Congress MLA and party spokesman Sukhpal Khaira has accused the Punjab Police of denying security cover to senior Congress leaders and providing the same to Akali leaders.
Khaira submitted a memorandum to the Punjab Governor today along with a list of persons in Muktsar who had been provided security by the Punjab Police. Terming the system of providing security as “erroneous, faulty and politically motivated”, he said the Punjab Police had provided security to certain leaders at the “whims” of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, who also held the Home portfolio.
Khaira said as per the list, certain unknown persons had peen provided security. Satinderjit Singh Manta, former personal assistant of Gurdas Singh Badal, had been allocated four security personnel by the Additional Director General of Police, Security, he said.
Khaira alleged Manta got the security cover after he joined the Shiromani Akali Dal in 2011.
“Similarly, four security personnel have also been provided to Hardeep Singh alias Dimpy, who is neither an MLA nor a former legislator and doesn’t hold any important post,” he said.
“On the other hand, former MLAs like us and other Congress leaders are being denied security on flimsy grounds,” he said. “In fact, the entire threat perception criteria of the Punjab Police stands exposed after a close perusal of this list of those protected in Muktsar district,” he said.
Khaira said threat perception in Punjab was being assessed under political directions and not on merit.
