FIR against Bajwa an attempt to muzzle Opposition’s voice: Dhaliwal

Phagwara MLA and District Congress Committee president Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal has come out strongly against the FIR filed by the Aam Aadmi Party-led government against Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa. He termed the move a “disgraceful and desperate attempt to silence the voice of truth.”

In a statement issued today, Dhaliwal said, “The act of slapping an FIR on Partap Bajwa for raising legitimate concerns about the deteriorating law and order is not only condemnable, but also reeks of political vendetta. It is clear that the government, rattled by growing public criticism and the failure to maintain peace and security, is now misusing power to target the Opposition.”

Dhaliwal emphasised that raising issues of public safety and governance are the constitutional duty of the Leader of the Opposition. “Instead of taking constructive criticism in the right spirit and acting on it, the government is reacting like an insecure regime that cannot tolerate dissent. The FIR is an attack on democratic values and such authoritarian conduct has no place in a democratic set-up.”

He added that the law and order situation in Punjab has been steadily declining under AAP’s rule, with increasing cases of gang wars, drug trafficking and attacks on public servants and judiciary members.

“Bajwa only spoke what the people of Punjab are witnessing every day. If raising the truth is a crime, then it shows how far this government has strayed from democratic principles,” he said.

Dhaliwal also took aim at Mann, accusing him of being more focused on publicity and drama than governance. “The CM is busy with Twitter politics while Punjab suffers. His government is running on headlines instead of real work. Filing false FIRs won’t hide his incompetence,” he added.

Jalandhar