Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa—former Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab and Member of Parliament from Gurdaspur—launched a scathing attack on both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Central Government and the Punjab Government, holding them responsible for fostering gangsterism. He asserted that the glorification of gangsters and extortionists poses a grave danger to society, yet both governments continue to turn a blind eye to this critical issue.
Randhawa stated that the law and order situation in Punjab is far from satisfactory; he alleged that most of the major gangsters currently active in the state are operating from BJP-ruled states, from where they orchestrate crimes within Punjab. He challenged the Punjab Police to conduct an investigation and prove that the mobile phones of these gangsters remain active within Punjab around the clock.
Referring to gangster Lawrence Bishnoi—who is currently lodged in Sabarmati Jail—Randhawa pointed out that, pursuant to court orders, he cannot be interrogated outside the confines of the prison. This raises the pertinent question: how, then, are police forces from other states able to interrogate him? He further alleged that the Punjab Government’s claims regarding the controversy surrounding Bishnoi’s interview have been thoroughly exposed. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had previously asserted that the interview did not take place within Punjab; however, after the High Court transferred the investigation to another state, the investigating officer officially confirmed in writing that the interview had, in fact, occurred inside a Punjab police station and jail premises.
Randhawa also criticized the government regarding advertisements featuring gangsters. He condemned the practice of displaying images of gangsters alongside the Chief Minister’s photograph as utterly inappropriate. Taking a jibe at the Chief Minister, he remarked that the latter ought to be ashamed of this conduct; instead, he appears intent on garnering publicity through such advertisements while remaining conspicuously silent in the face of the gangsters themselves. Randhawa also took aim at Union Home Minister Amit Shah, noting that no action has been taken regarding the alleged suicide of a Punjab government official—a case that is being linked to pressure allegedly exerted by State Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar. Randhawa alleged that Amit Shah had stated that if Congress MPs submitted a written request, the matter would be handed over to the CBI; however, despite the request, no action was taken. He also criticized the Punjab BJP leadership, remarking that they are merely engaging in rhetoric but failing to take concrete action.
