Fearing communal tension, Captain demands Prez rule

Expressing serious concern over reported threat of terrorist and communal violence looming over the state of Punjab ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections Punjab Congress president Captain Amarinder Singh called for President’s Rule to counter the same.

Reacting to the Centre’s missive to the Punjab police to remain alert against possible terror attacks and incidents of religious sacrilege, Singh said that “The situation necessitated immediate preventive measures, including conduct of the polls under central rule.” According to the senior leader the anti-social gangs who escaped in recent Nabha jail break and Fazilka sub-jail episode are working hard to disrupt the poll process by indulging in violence during the elections.

He also sought the Election Commission’s intervention, with President’s Rule as a step towards normalizing the law and order in the state and securing it from external threats. The party also feels that the alert issued to the Punjab Police by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) was not enough to tackle the danger of violence facing the state- it has already suffered enough at the hands of terrorists and the state’s internal problems.