Chandigarh: The appointment of DGP has not yet been done in Punjab. The state government had sent a list of 10 names for the post of DGP to UPSC about seven days ago, but till now the picture regarding the post of DGP is not clear.
Amid all this, Navjot Singh Sidhu has been vocal about his disappointment regarding the names being considered for the appointment of DGP and AG.
Sidhu targets Punjab government
Sidhu on Sunday tweeted that Congress came to power in 2017 for justice in the Sacrilege Case and action against the culprits of drugs cases. But because of the failures of the previous chief minister, people removed him.
"Now, AG / DG appointments rub salt on wounds of victims, they must be replaced or we will have No face !!" the tweet added.
What does the Chief Minister say in the matter?
Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi has said that the appointment of DGP will be done according to the law. He said that the state government has sent the names of all officers with more than 30 years of service to the Centre. The state government is now waiting for the panel to send back the names of three officers for the approval of the state government for the post of DGP.
Also read: Sidhu reiterates his demand for removal of Punjab DGP, AG
The Chief Minister also said that as soon as he gets the list of names, he will decide whom to appoint as the DGP after consultations with State Congress President Navjot Singh Sidhu as well as all the ministers and MLAs.
Congress leaders on the appointment of DGP
Congress spokesperson GS Bali said that his government has sent the list to the Centre, now it is the job of the Centre to give back the list of three names to his government. Both the Chief Minister and the party president who are presently in the state want the DGP to be posted at the earliest. They say that Centre is taking time to provide them with its list.
Bali said that if the Centre takes more time to release the list of names then the state government will have to make a decision because the police force cannot run without the DGP.
However, Bali made it clear that his government does not want those officers to become DGP or AG who served under the Akalis when they ran the show in the state.
Government does not want justice in sacrilege case: AAP
Aam Aadmi Party leader Neil Garg alleged that former CM Captain Amarinder Singh did nothing in the Sacrilege case during the four and a half years of his tenure as the state's CM, and now the new Channi government is also following the same path, even though the Congress party had promised that they would take action in the matter.
What does former DGP Shashikant say in this matter?
Questioned about the delay in the appointment of the DGP, the former DGP of Punjab, Shashikant, said that the job of the state government is to give the list of officers to the centre (UPSC) and the UPSC sends back a list of three finalized names. When asked whether the UPSC can delay it, he said that there is no specific guideline of the Supreme Court regarding timings.
Also read: Sidhu targets DGP over desecration case, meets CM Channi
But the UPSC has to take a decision regarding this as soon as possible and give the list to the state government. He confirmed that it may even take 15 to 20 days for the whole process. However, when asked whether there could be politics behind the delay, he said that in today's era, politics cannot be ruled out in any matter, but he believes that the UPSC will soon send its decision to the state government regarding the appointments.
