Amritsar (Punjab) [India], September 18 (ANI): Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday announced an ex-gratia of Rs 1 crore for Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Harjit Singh's bereaved family. The officer sacrificed his life, as he was shot dead while performing operational duties in Amritsar.
The ex-gratia of Rs 1 crore will be given by the government to the fallen officer's family along with an additional insurance payout of Rs 1 crore.
Condoling the loss, Chief Minister Mann honoured the fallen policeman's sacrifice and announced a financial assistance package for the bereaved family of ASI Harjit Singh.
"Salute to ASI Harjit Singh, who lost his life while performing his duty in Amritsar district. We will remember his immense courage and dedication towards duty. Punjab government announces an ex-gratia of Rs 1 crore from the government, and additional insurance of Rs 1 crore to his family," Punjab CM Mann posted on X.
ASI Singh, on patrol duty, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in the Hakima police station area of Amritsar.
Earlier in the day, Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav expressed grief and offered heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and friends of the deceased official.
Rajya Sabha MP and senior BJP leader Tarun Chugh expressed grief over the incident and raised serious questions regarding the law-and-order situation in Punjab under the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.
Speaking to ANI, Chugh alleged that for the past few years, there have been continuous attempts to demoralise the Punjab Police and security agencies.
He noted that grenade attacks have occurred at 22 police stations across Punjab, a grenade attack took place at the BJP headquarters, and the Punjab Police headquarters was targeted with a rocket launcher.
"It is deeply distressing; over the past few years, there have been persistent attempts to break the morale of the Punjab Police and security agencies. There have been grenade attacks on twenty-two police stations and the BJP headquarters; the Punjab Police headquarters was attacked with a rocket launcher, and there have been four such incidents recently," he said.
The Rajya Sabha MP further alleged that attackers are filming the shootings and posting them on social media, while the Punjab government and AAP leaders are in denial regarding the alleged attacks.
"In these instances, uniformed police personnel are being fired upon; the attackers shoot, record videos, and post photos, while Punjab Police officers and the Aam Aadmi Party government are in denial about these attacks, even as terrorist organisations are posting photos and videos of them," he said.
Condemning the lethal attack on the police official, Chugh emphasised that those responsible for ensuring Punjab's security are themselves falling victim to terror.
"This incident is tragic. The way a Punjab Police officer was targeted has created an atmosphere of fear across the state. Bhagwant Mann’s AAP government--backed by Kejriwal’s blessings has failed completely," he said.
The BJP leader stated that Punjab is currently gripped by an atmosphere of fear. Drug mafias, extortion rackets, and gangsterism are sounding alarm bells for the border state of Punjab.
Accusing the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government of negligence, he stated that the government's failure has created an environment of fear across the state.
Tarun Chugh further stated that despite terrorist organisations claiming responsibility for incidents and releasing videos, the police are focused on saving their own image rather than resolving the issue. He alleged that Aam Aadmi Party leaders are more concerned with protecting their political posturing than with the security of Punjab.
Responding to a question regarding the safety of police personnel, Chugh remarked that when police stations and the police themselves are not secure, it is natural for questions to arise concerning the safety of the general public. He described the situation in Punjab as dire, noting that the government is intoxicated by power while the state has descended into chaos. (ANI)
Punjab govt announces Rs 1 crore ex-gratia for family of police officer shot dead on duty
