Punjab withdraws security from Congress HQ, party protests

Chandigarh, July 3 (IANS) The opposition Congress Thursday slammed the Punjab government for withdrawing security from its state party headquarters here.

Punjab Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa condemned the move, expressing apprehension that the party headquarters, located in a building in Sector 15, was now vulnerable from the security point of view.

He said that the security deployment has been reduced from 12 personnel, including a woman constable, to just four people, while the security scanner had also been removed.

"This action of the state government is just incomprehensible. This has compromised the security of our headquarters. Who would be responsible if any untoward incident happens as the party headquarter is also visited by a large number of people," Bajwa said.

Bajwa alleged that the law and order situation in Punjab was deteriorating, mainly due to political patronage by the ruling Akali Dal to anti-social elements.

"The state government must reverse this politically-motivated decision which smacks of vendetta politics," he said.

"While the Akali leaders at various levels had compromised with the terrorists, it is the Congress which put up a valiant fight and this is the reason that the party had been provided security," he said.