Punjabi Singer Sidhu Moose Wala was shot dead in Mansa district in Punjab by unidentified gunmen on 29 May. The incident comes just a day after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government withdrew his security cover.
While the Punjab police suspect the role of a Canada-based gangster, Lawrence Bishnoi, the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government might have to do a lot of answering when it comes to its calculations of the threat perception of individuals. The government will have to come clean to show that its orders were based on credible inputs and not merely political motives.
The incident comes just a day after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government withdrew his security cover.
The singer had been receiving threats from several gangs according to the FIR filed by Balkaur Singh, Sidhu Moose Wala’s father.
Since the Intelligence Bureau, which comes under the Centre, allegedly had information about Sidhu being the target of gangsters, the role of the Centre would also come into question.
Allegations are that most of the 730 people whose security was withdrawn are related in some way to the political opposition in Punjab.
Punjab is a litmus test for the AAP’s governance capabilities as it is the only “full state” that the party governs. Any failures on the law and order front will only make the path ahead difficult for Kejriwal & Co.
A Can of Worms For State Intelligence & Govt
Since law and order is a state subject as per the Constitution, the responsibility of VIP security also has to be borne by the state. The Ministry of Home Affairs’ internal security division on its website states that VIP “security is provided based on a comprehensive assessment of threat by the security agencies.”
This comprehensive threat can be from terrorists, or, in some cases, consideration can also be given to a threat from organised criminal mafias or gangs. And this is where it gets interesting.
The Punjab DGP in his media briefing suspected gang rivalry as one of the primary reasons behind the killing, claiming the involvement of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. The murder, police say, might be a retaliation to another case last year. If this is the case, then there was a credible threat to Moose Wala’s life from the “criminal mafia or a gang”, as the MHA website states. Hence, this opens up a can of worms for both the government and the state’s security intelligence.
Did the Govt Get State Intelligence's Nod for Withdrawal?
Moreover, the singer had been receiving threats from several gangs according to the FIR filed by Balkaur Singh, Sidhu Moose Wala’s father. There are reports that also suggest that even though Sidhu had not made any formal complaint, the Intelligence Bureau in its report had mentioned that his name was on the hitlist of gangsters.
As a process of perception calculation, state intelligence is required to give regular inputs to the state governments. This information might be sourced from either human intelligence, telephone conversations or another tangible threat. Based on this, a decision is made on the withdrawal or increase of security provided.
Since the Intelligence Bureau, which comes under the Centre, allegedly had information about Sidhu being the target of gangsters, the role of the Central government would also come into question. The Ministry of Home Affairs on its website says that state governments are “constantly sensitised” by the Ministry regarding the threat perceptions of individuals from time to time. In this case, both the Centre and the state would have to clear the air on whether any kind of information was exchanged between them.
The Punjab government would have to come clean on whether it had the state intelligence’s nod before it withdrew security, or whether the requisite procedure of threat calculation was undertaken before the move was announced. Even if it had a green signal, the government will have to accept a clear case of intelligence failure on the part of the government.
In case of an intelligence failure, it would be a greater cause of worry because Punjab being a border state is always under a perceived threat from terrorists emerging from across the border. This can dent the AAP’s image when it comes to handling border states.
Politically Motivated Actions?
Ever since the AAP government has taken charge in Punjab, it has removed the security of almost 730 individuals in sets of three separate orders dated 12 March, 20 April and 28 May. The move – clearly a populist one – is masqueraded as a “crackdown” on VIP culture. However, this crackdown has to be followed after adhering to a set procedure for calculating threat perceptions. Allegations being put forth claim that most of these 730 people are related in some way to the political opposition in Punjab.
Prominent people whose security was withdrawn include former Deputy Chief Minister OP Soni, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, former cabinet ministers Tota Singh, Surjit Singh Rakhra, Punjab Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Vice-President Rajesh Bagga and district president Harinder Singh Kohli, among many other former ministers and MLAs.
Another major name was that of the Akal Takht Jathedar, Giani Harpreet Singh, whose security was downgraded just days after he controversially had advised Sikhs to keep licensed weapons. The downgrade had caused an uproar, with Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Sukhbir Badal terming the Bhagwant Mann government “anti-Panth”. The government, post the backfire, tried to reinstate the Akal Takht head’s security, only to be refused by the latter. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) alleged that the action was a response to the controversial statement. But this is denied by the Punjab government.
The government in its orders has not clearly laid down any reason for the withdrawals. However, the AAP has used this as a populist move against VIP culture, an allegation that Bhagwant Mann will have to explain.
A Question Mark on AAP's Image
Political motivation or not, intelligence failure or not, the Sidhu Moose Wala killing only puts a question mark on AAP’s handling of law and order in the state; this is not the first high-profile incident that has shocked the state.
In March this year, Sandeep Singh Nangal was killed by gunmen in broad daylight, and earlier this month, the Punjab intelligence headquarters in Mohali was attacked with a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG).
Punjab is a litmus test for the AAP’s governance capabilities as it is the only “full state” that the party governs. Any failures on the law and order front will only make the path ahead difficult for Kejriwal & Co.
(Aavish Kant is a master's student studying journalism at Leeds Beckett University in the UK. This is an opinion article and the views expressed are the author's own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for them.)
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