AAP in Punjab opposes proposed law against organised crime, fears it could be 'tyrannical'

Chandigarh: Opposition AAP on Saturday asked the Congress-led Punjab government not to enact the “tyrannical” Punjab Control of Organised Crime Act (PCOCA) as they claimed it is bound to be “misused” by the police and state’s political hierarchy to “settle scores” with their opponents. Leader of Opposition in Punjab Assembly Sukhpal Singh Khaira said a strong willpower is required to control law and order in Punjab and not a draconian act like PCOCA. “The Amarinder Singh government is lacking willpower as evident from series of political murders that have rocked Punjab,” he said. [caption id=“attachment_4193411” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. AFP[/caption] “The Punjab Police has failed miserably to trace or crack even one political murder during the last couple of years. Amarinder Singh is only trying to pass on the buck of his failures sometimes to the NIA and now by proposing to enact the tyrannical PCOCA,” he said in a statement. The state has witnessed “gross misuse” of such “ruthless” Acts enacted earlier in the name of law and order, where the police and the political dispensation targeted their opponents with impunity, said Khaira. TADA was one such law enacted to control militancy but it did more damage to the citizens than eradicating terrorism from Punjab, he claimed. The chief minister on Friday directed the cabinet sub-committee headed by minister Brahm Mohindra to expedite drafting of the legislation on Punjab Control of Organised Crime Act (PCOCA) to crack down on the menace of organised crime and gangsters. Khaira said the common man was already suffering from misuse of various acts like the SC/ST Act, the Dowry Act and the NDPS Act. Although, these Acts were created with a good intention to ensure justice to the aggrieved but it has been noticed that the laws are being vindictively misused many times, to settle scores with the opposition, he said. Khair said, “I have been targeted through the NDPS Act by the government to create sensational news and to malign, defame and damage my reputation. If an act like NDPS can be misused against the Leader of Opposition, one can imagine the plight of ordinary citizens.”