Sangrur, Punjab (November 14, 2013): It is learnt that Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has compared his governance with the rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. He reportedly said that Punjab government is following the footprints of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the founder of the Sikh empire.
He was addressing a state level function organized at Badrukhan near Sangrur to mark the birth anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
Parkash Singh Badal and others at Badukhan (Sangrur) [November 13, 2013]
CM Badal said that Maharaja Ranjit Singh was a foresighted leader who loved all religions. He said that his government’s policy of allotting government offices to Hindus and Muslims is in accordance with the Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s policy of ensuring participation of all communities in governance.
However there is something very objectionable with this interpretation as Maharaja Ranjit Singh had ensured justice for all sections of population whereas Badal regime has protected and distributed power to the human rights abusers while denying justice to the victims of the human rights violations.
For instance Punjab’s infamous cop Izhar Alam has been appointed as Chairman of the Wakf Board by Badal Government. He was also declared as candidate for Member of Legislative Assembly from Malerkotla constituency by Badal Dal but after opposition from certain circles his wife was declared as a proxy candidate.
It is notable that Izhar Alam was involved in mass level atrocities on the civilian Sikh population. While in service of Indian security forces he had formed a private army named Alam Sena (Alam’s army).
The existence of “Alam Sena” finds its mention in a recent “expose” by Wikileaks. The communication, referred as “cable”, sent by New Delhi based US Embassy on December 19, 2005; released by Wikileaks, mentions the existence of “Alam Sena”.
This “cables” mentions: “[d]uring the insurgency, he assembled a large, personal paramilitary force of approximately 150 men known as the ‘Black Cats’ or ‘Alam Sena’ (‘Alam’s Army’) […]. The group had reach throughout the Punjab and is alleged to have had carte blanche in carrying out possibly thousands of staged ‘encounter killings’. (NOTE: Former Director General Punjab Police KPS Gill publicly praised the group, saying the Punjab police could not function without them. End Note.) Herkewaljit Singh told us that Alam was ‘at the top of the list’ in authorizing encounters during the insurgency period” (Read concerned “Cable” at Wikileaks).
Similarly Parkash Singh Badal’s government has appointed another human rights abuser Sumedh Saini as Director General of Punjab police.
Recently, when a Punjab police cop made a public disclosure that he had killed 83 Sikh youth at the orders of his superior officers, CM Parkash Singh Badal did not only attempted to evade media queries about the issue, but also suffered the failure to take notice of the issue itself.