SAS Nagar, March 20 - Former servicemen of Punjab have condemned the attack on an Army Colonel and his son by the Punjab Police in Patiala yesterday and said that keeping in mind the failure of law and order in Punjab, President's rule should be imposed there.
Talking to reporters here today, Brigadier Harbant Singh, Colonel GB Virk, Lt. Colonel SS Sohi, Colonel AS Sandhu, Colonel JS Athwal, Brigadier Sarabjit Singh, Brigadier Kuldeep Singh Kahlon, Captain Makhan Singh and others said that the manner in which the police beat up an Army Colonel and his son in Patiala shows that the Punjab Police and the government have no control over it. He said that the police personnel who beat up the Colonel are seen threatening the Colonel by saying that they have come after one encounter and will fight another.
The ex-servicemen said that this incident also shows that there is no respect for the military personnel in the eyes of the police and the administration. And the state government has completely failed to manage the law and order situation in the state. They said that the Punjab Police is being treated like goons. They said that this attack on an army officer is not just a stain on the honor of one person but the entire military community.
Meanwhile, a delegation of ex-servicemen led by Brigadier Harbant Singh sent a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner Mohali in the name of the President. The letter has demanded that a high-level judicial inquiry be conducted into this matter by a Supreme Court or High Court judge. And that all the police officers involved in this matter be immediately arrested and given strict punishment.
Along with this, it has been demanded that President's rule be imposed in Punjab under Section 356, that a protection act be prepared for defence personnel, ex-servicemen and their families to protect them from harassment and attacks, that awareness programmes on respecting military service be made mandatory for the police and administration, and that fast-track courts be set up for the prompt hearing of cases related to military personnel.
The ex-servicemen have warned that if immediate action is not taken, there will be widespread protests at the Punjab and India level. Under which government functions will be boycotted and the matter will be taken to the international level along with legal battles.
The retired soldiers present on the occasion included, among others, Brigadier SP Singh, Brigadier Surjit Singh, Colonel BS Baidwan, Colonel KS Garg, Colonel Ravinder Singh, Colonel PS Sandhu, Colonel MS Brar, Colonel DS Grewal, Colonel Alamjit Sandhu, Colonel TS Sidhu, Colonel Harbakhsh Singh, Colonel RS Pehr, Colonel Rupinder Singh, Colonel Mohinder Singh, Colonel Manjinder Singh, Colonel Kanwardeep Singh, Colonel IS Dhillon, Colonel Manjit, Colonel MS Chauhan, Colonel ADS Gill, Colonel Gurpreet Singh, Colonel Gurtej Gill, Captain IL Kerr, Captain Gurmeet Singh, Captain GC Ghuman, Major Harmohinder Singh, IJS Malhotra, Parkash Singh, Pritam Singh, Joginder Singh, Kiranpal Singh, Rupal Singh, Jaswant Singh, IP Singh, Arvind Kumar, Sucha Singh Dhillon, Ram Singh, RS Bindra GM, Bhajan Singh were also present.