Punjab’s incumbent director general of the police and chief minister Parkash Singh Badal’s own principal secretary have succeeded in kicking up quite a storm in privately signalling their intention to contest the coming Assembly elections as nominees of the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal.
Even though both officers have refused to comment and SAD chief Sukhbir Badal publicly denies the possibility, the hot news currently breaking on Punjab’s political grapevine is that the DGP, Mr P.S. (Pompy) Gill, who was brought to Punjab after he earned quite a name fighting terrorists in Kashmir, and PSCM Darbara Singh Guru have quietly but firmly begun campaigning through friends, well-wishers and local, constituency-level party cadres.
While Mr Gill hopes to cash in on the support base and goodwill created by his late father Nachhattar Singh Gill, who was a Congress legislator from Moga, Mr Guru has chief minister Badal’s own go ahead and the firm promise of the SAD ticket for Bhadaur in Barnala district.
But the officers’ aspirations to become netas have begun to draw flak both from the Opposition and common people.
“Mr Gill is working in a specific area with a specific purpose and specific interest and he had made it known that he was going to contest from Moga as an Akali candidate. He should ideally demit his office or at least recuse from the top police job. The officer has politicised his post in a blatant manner,” said former chief minister and state Congress chief Capt. Amarinder Singh.
Others point out that both, the DGP and the PSCM could easily employ governmental resources and selectively hand out favours in a manner that could unfairly advantage them in the elections next February. “In all fairness they must be asked to step down immediately,” said a senior political observer.