Former Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh on Sunday pointed to ‘law and order being a state subject,’ when questioned over why the Centre is yet to intervene in Punjab, where a recent clash between police and Khalistan supporters has added to concerns over a possible revival in the state of the movement for Khalistan, an independent country for Sikhs.
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“What is the state doing? Law and order comes under (chief minister) Bhagwant Mann…what is he doing? Law and order is not a central subject…it’s a state subject,” said Singh, who has repeatedly warned that under the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the movement may get revived in the border state.
The AAP has frequently faced allegations of being pro-Khalistan, a charge it has always denied.
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Meanwhile, Singh, who was speaking to news agency ANI, also slammed CM Mann for failing to maintain law and order in Punjab.
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“Despite this (law and order being state subject), I’m saying that if they (Punjab government) cannot maintain peace, then the Government of India will have to step in. More and more drones are being sent (from Pakistan)…one was shot down today itself,” said the former Armyman, who left the Congress in 2021 and joined BJP last year.
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Under Article 356 of the Constitution of India, the Union government can dismiss the state government, if the former deems the latter to be unable to function as per Constitutional provisions. Earlier this month, prime minister Narendra Modi, during a speech in Rajya Sabha, had criticised at former prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi for ‘repeatedly misusing Article 356 to topple state governments’ during their respective premierships.
