SAD condemns Centre's decision to withdraw Z-plus security for Bikram Singh Majithia, terms it 'politically motivated'

Chandigarh: Shiromani Akali Dal on Friday lashed out at the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre for allegedly withdrawing the Z-plus security cover to former Punjab Minister Bikram Singh Majithia. “The SAD condemns the arbitrary, dictatorial and politically motivated decision of the BJP-led central government to withdraw the Z-plus category security cover of former minister and senior Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia,” SAD spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema. In a statement, Cheema, also a senior SAD leader, alleged that Majithia’s security cover had been withdrawn because the party had “stood firmly with farmers” against the Centre’s here farm laws and the denial of the official language status to Punjabi in Jammu and Kashmir. He said the SAD had voted against the Centre’s farm laws in Parliament besides quitting the Union Cabinet and the National Democratic Alliance over the issue. “It is clear that Mr Majithia is a victim of political vendetta. The SAD, however, will not be cowed down by such tactics and will continue to stand with farmers and Punjabis against the central laws as well as any other issue which weakens the federal structure or is intrinsically anti-Punjab. “The SAD has a 100-year-old history of standing up to safeguard the rights of the farmers and the poor and downtrodden. It will never shirk away from this responsibility,” he said. Majithia is the brother of former Union Minister and SAD’s Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, and brother-in-law of SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal. Speaking about Majithia’s security issue, the SAD leader said, Z-plus category security cover had been given to him in 2010 during the UPA rule on the basis of threat perception. “The case was cleared by the then-home minister P Chidambaram who was known to be a hard taskmaster. We would like to know what has changed suddenly that the ten-year-old cover was withdrawn on a single-line order.” “Mr Majithia continues to be targeted by Pakistan-based anti-national elements and gangsters who have openly threatened to eliminate him. Even Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has recently talked about increased attempts by Pakistan’s ISI to revive terrorist activity in Punjab, particularly in the Majha belt of the state which shares a border with Pakistan,” he said. Majithia is from the Majha area. Stating that such kind of politics does not augur well for peace in the state, Cheema said, “We have already seen how a senior Left leader and Shaurya Chakra awardee Balwinder Singh Sandhu was murdered in Tarn Taran recently after his security cover was withdrawn.” Warning that the Union Home Ministry would be held responsible for any untoward incident after the withdrawal of Majithia’s security cover, the SAD leader said, “This kind of action, which is designed to browbeat opponents, is a new low in Indian politics.” He said while the security cover of Majithia, who has often been targeted by anti-national elements, has been withdrawn, the central government has given Y-plus category security to film actor Kangana Ranaut. “Security should not be given on the whims and fancies to people who sing the government’s tune. It is incumbent on the Home Ministry to explain on what grounds Mr Majithia’s security cover has been withdrawn suddenly after the SAD stood up against the Centre in support of the farming community,” he said.