How AAP government in Punjab flip-flopped on security cover of VVIPs

One more strike by the Bhagwant Mann government on VVIP culture,” Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s Twitter handle last week went gaga over the May 26 decision of its government in Punjab to curtain the security cover of 424 VVIPs. 

The names of a few prominent personalities including Akal Takht Jathedar and singer-politician Sidhu Moosewala were prominently flashed. 

The list of these VVIPs was supposed to be kept secret even more so in a sensitive border state. But it became another tool of political propaganda for the AAP’s hyperbolic social media team to ‘flaunt’ it as the Mann government’s major crackdown on VIP culture.

After AAP’s tweet, the list also went public.

All this was played without realising that it might backfire. It, unfortunately, happened so when Moosewala was gunned down in broad daylight only a day after AAP’s tweet, driving the opposition to blame the Mann government’s cheap politics behind Moosewala’s chilling murder. He was lacerated with 26 bullets.

Besides this, Akal Takht Jathedar too announced that he was also sending his remaining security back. 

Days later, the Mann government’s flip-flop was all visible when government advocates today on Thursday, June 2 informed the Punjab and Haryana High Court that security cover of VVIPs curtailed through an order dated May 26 was temporarily withdrawn and it would be restored on June 7.

The government made the statement before the bench of Justice Raj Mohan Singh who was hearing a case regarding the security withdrawal of former deputy chief minister of Punjab and Congress leader, Om Parkash Soni.

Soni argued before the court during the last hearing that the withdrawal was a result of populist action being taken by the government, instead of an assessment of the actual serious threat to the lives of these persons.

After the hearing of the matter today, Soni’s advocate Madhu Dayal told the media that the Punjab government had claimed before the court that the security was withdrawn for the additional need of police force in wake of the anniversary of operation blue star on June 6, and it will be reinstated by June 7. According to her, the Mann government has also claimed that it would mark responsibility for the person who made the list of people whose security was degraded public.

Blatant hypocrisy: Opposition

Mann’s open admission of guilt further emboldened the opposition. Congress leader of Opposition Partap Bajwa in a series of tweets said that In High Court the Mann Govt stated that security was temporarily withdrawn keeping in mind  Ghalughara (operation blue star) week but the same AAP was advertising and celebrating security withdrawal earlier on social media. So is the Govt lying or did it mislead the Honourable HC today?

Bajwa further said that it was high time that CM Bhagwant Mann relinquished the charge as Home Minister and gave it to someone more competent & professional.

He also tweeted that It is my appeal to the AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal to rein in their troll army on social media. They indulge in the cheapest form of mudslinging and the way they tried to bring gun culture and gang war angle into Sidhu Moosewala’s death was shameful beyond words.

BJP’s Manjinder Singh Sirsa too slammed AAP, saying that the Kejriwal-Mann duo bite the dust again. 

They refuted back in High Court their claim of reducing VIP culture in Punjab by saying that it was a temporary withdrawal. AAP’s cheap stunt cost Punjabis a precious life. Punjab’s youth would never forgive them for their hypocrisy, said Manjinder Singh.

Another BJP leader Sunil Jakhar tweeted that AAP advertised that security was withdrawn to end VIP culture but today Punjab Govt stated in court - security personnel were temporarily needed for operation Bluestar anniversary. “It was nothing but blatant Hypocrisy," said Jakhar. 

Meanwhile, AAP is on the defensive with no statement from its media team responding to the high voltage criticism.  

Many see the whole episode as a sign of the Mann government's inexperience in governance, which has been coming to the fore time and again ever since he took oath as chief minister on March 16, following thumping victory in Punjab elections.

“It is an eye-opener. Hope they will not make the security issues part of their political propaganda,” said a political observer.