HARYANA LEGISLATORS RECEIVE DEATH THREATS FROM NOTORIOUS CRIMINALS

Seven legislators in Haryana have received threats from notorious criminals over the last few days, bringing the functioning of the police department along with officials under the scanner. In view of the seriousness of the matter, Haryana assembly speaker Gian Chand Gupta has written a letter to Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Home Minister Anil Vij, stating that it is a very serious issue and the MLAs are feeling insecure. It is, therefore, necessary to take immediate steps regarding the safety and security of the MLAs.

The legislators who have received threats include Sanjay Singh, Renu Bala, Subhash Gangoli, Surender Panwar, Maman Khan and Kuldeep Vats, elected from Sohna, Sadhaura, Safidon, Sonipat, Firozpur Jhirka and Badli assemblies respectively. Sanjay Singh is a BJP MLA, whereas the remaining four legislators hail from the main opposition party Congress.

It is learnt that Congress MLA Subhash Gangoli has received a threat call in the name of gangster Goldi Brar, who is operating from Canada and has been directly involved in the killing of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala. Similarly, another Congress MLA has received a ransom and death threat call in the name of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, who is in police custody.   

It has also come to fore that three of the Congress MLAs namely Renu Bala, Subhash Gangoli and Surender Pawar had received threat from Dubai and the mobile number used for this was being operated from Pakistan. Another party legislator Maman Khan had received threat calls at local level.

Earlier on Friday, Former state Congress president Kumari Selja submitted a memorandum to the Governor demanding to enhance the security of these MLAs, catch the culprits and take strict action as soon as possible. Besides, she has also demanded that a high-level inquiry into this matter be conducted by NIA under the supervision of a sitting judge of the High Court. She said that except MLA Maman Khan, who received threats at local level, all other MLAs had received threats from abroad. She was accompanied by Congress MLA from Sadhaura Renu Bala during the meeting with the Governor.

State Congress president Uday Bhan reacted to the matter and said the legislators are being threatened continuously and openly by the gangsters for extortion money, which is an indication of collapsed law and order in the state.

Sandeep Singh Khirwar, an IPS and ADGP, Law & Order, also reacted to the matter and said that FIRs have been filed against alleged criminals and required security arrangements are being made available for the concerned legislators. Further, he said that such incidents are intolerable and subject to stern action.