403 police officers have returned to police stations. (File)
Amritsar:
After stripping 122 former MPs and MLAs from security yesterday, Bhagwant Mann, the appointed Chief Minister of Punjab, said on Sunday that as many as 403 police personnel had returned to police stations.
During a roadshow in Amritsar, Mann said: “We will use the police for what they have to do (work for ordinary people); we will not harass them (with security duties of VIPs)”
“We have reduced the security of 122 people and as a result, 403 police officers and 27 police vehicles have returned to the police stations,” he said.
Notably, the additional Director-General of Police (Security) had ordered the withdrawal of security coverage from 122 former MPs and MLAs in Punjab. The order was issued on March 11, shortly after Bhagwant Mann met the Director-General of Police (DGP) and the Chief Secretary after the legislator’s party meeting.
The list includes names of high-ranking congressional leaders, who were protected under the previous administration, along with the names of congressional MLAs who this time won parliamentary elections from their seats but would no longer be cabinet ministers.
In addition to senior BJP leaders, the list included Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), former AAP MLAs, former ministers and former parliament speakers.
The order is for the retired police personnel to report to their parent units. It further said that personnel deployed on specific court orders will not be withdrawn.
Furthermore, the CM-designated reiterated that no government will have the Chief Minister’s photos, “but will have photos of Shaheed Bhagat Singh and Babasaheb Ambedkar.”
Mann thanked the people of the state for entrusting AAP with an overwhelming majority, took a dip in Congress and SAD and said: “You have those who have ruled Punjab for 70 years, with more than 50,000 votes. defeated.”
“While other parties were making plans with whom to form an alliance after the results to secure the government in the state, we knew that the people of Punjab will unite to vote them out of power,” he added.
Prior to the roadshow, Kejriwal and Mann visited the Golden Temple, Durgiana Temple and Jallianwala Bagh Monument.
The new government will be sworn in on March 16 in Khatkar Kalan, the home village of legendary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) took a landslide victory in the Punjab polls with 92 seats, pushing most of its rivals to the margins. Congress won 18 seats in the 117-member Assembly.
