Arrest Amritpal, his supporters or Cong will take to streets, Warring writes to Punjab DGP

Chandigarh: Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring on Wednesday said the Congress will take to streets if no action is taken against radical preacher Amritpal Singh and his supporters in the Ajnala case.

He made the statement in a letter to state police chief.

Claiming that the Ajnala incident shook the faith of common Punjabis in the AAP government, Warring said that the irony is that those responsible for the incident were roaming "scot-free" and "cocking a snook" at the government and the police.

"The Punjab Congress party is serving an ultimatum that either you arrest Amritpal along with all those guilty of attacking the policemen, or we the Congressmen will be forced to come out on streets," he said.

Warring's letter to Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav came days after Amritpal and his supporters, some of them brandishing swords and guns, broke through barricades and barged into the Ajnala police station on the outskirts of the Amritsar city, extracting an assurance from the police that kidnapping case accused Lovepreet Singh will be released.

During the incident last week, six policemen, including former Indian hockey player and now Superintendent of Police (SP) Jugraj Singh, suffered injuries.

After the Ajnala incident, the Bhagwant Mann-led government and the state police chief have come under fire from the opposition parties for caving to the radical preacher and not taking any action Amritpal and his supporters.

In his communique to the DGP, Warring reminded Gaurav Yadav that he had written to him about four months ago regarding the "dangerous and nefarious activities" of Amritpal Singh.

"He has been spitting venom and is out there to destroy the hard earned peace of Punjab and its communal harmony. Neither any note of my letter was taken nor was any check maintained on his activities," said Warring.

Warring said Amritpal has now got "so emboldened" that he had the "audacity to lay siege to a police station in Ajnala, attack the policemen and take away his aide, who is accused of assaulting and kidnapping an individual." "This was something unprecedented and never heard of. Even during the dark days of terrorism never did such an incident occur. The police never felt so let down and demoralised even when they were facing the worst type of terrorism in the history of the state," pointed out Warring.

Stating that the Congress has a history of sacrifices, Warring said, "We have never shied away from laying down our lives for Punjab and the nation and we will not hesitate in future either." Praising the Punjab police, Warring said it is the best police force in the country.

"It has an unparalleled record in fighting for the country and sacrificing their life to ensure peace….I am sorry to say that the same police were made to suffer the brutal attack by some goons, just because they were asked not to react," he said.

The incident has also shaken the faith of people of Punjab in the Mann-led government, Warring said, adding, " they feel that if the police are not safe themselves how can they protect the common man."