New Delhi: Does Punjab and Haryana Court's observations on handling of the Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh situation make Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar's position untenable?
In an un-ambiguous indictment of the Haryana government, the High Court on Saturday said, “You allowed the city to burn for political gains. It seems the government has surrendered to agitators.”
News18.com had earlier reported how senior Haryana ministers had donated money to Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s Dera Sacha Sauda. A senior Haryana minister was also present at the Sirsa headquarters of the Dera on August 15, the controversial godman’s birthday.
In fact, the High Court had forewarned the state government of imminent danger of large mobilisation by Dera Sacha Sauda before the verdict.
This is not the first time that the Khattar government has drawn flak over its handling of law and order situation. Its failure to control the situation during the Jat reservation violence last year also came under scrutiny.
While Khattar seems to have faltered, CM Amarinder Singh in adjoining Punjab seems to have handled the situation more earnestly. No loss of live has been reported from Punjab till now.
The Congress, which is in power in Punjab, has called for Khattar’s resignation and for the imposition of President’s Rule in Haryana.
“The Haryana government should be dismissed. Why has the Centre not acted against Khattar in Haryana and Yogi Adityanath in Uttar Pradesh (over Gorakhpur hospital deaths),” Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said on Saturday.
A day earlier, party vice-president Rahul Gandhi stressed that violence and brutality had no place in society. "@PMOIndia must put the interest and safety of Indians before his party's interests. @mlkhattar must resign," the party said on Twitter.
At least 31 people were killed and 350 injured in widespread violence, arson and police firing in Haryana triggered by the rape conviction of self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the head of Dera Sacha Sauda.
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