One has been hearing a demand by certain sections of politicians, both in Delhi and in Punjab for imposition of president’s rule in the state of Punjab, following the lapse in the security of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his visit to the state.

Prime Minister was to announce developmental schemes and address a party rally in Ferozepur in Punjab. He was to travel from Bathinda to Hussainiwala by a helicopter where he was to pay tribute to the three martyrs -Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev. But a bad weather forced him to make changes to his travel plan.
It was decided that he would travel by road from Bathinda to Hussainiwala- a good two hours’ drive. Somewhere on the road some 20 miles shy of Hussainiwala his convoy had to stop because there were, as alleged, protesting farmers who had blocked the road.

Prime Minister’s convey was held up there for about 20 minutes. And then the PM returned to Bathinda where he told a Punjab government official to convey his thanks to Punjab chief minister that he had come back alive to Bathinda.

The Prime Minister’s remark generated all kinds of conspiracy theories. The central government blamed the Punjab government for the lapses and Punjab government defended its police officers, administration and itself by saying that the security of the Prime Minister is the responsibility of the SPG which cleared all plans of movement of the Prime Minister. However, since Punjab is going to elections in the next couple of months, the state is politically surcharged.

The BJP which has lost ground in Punjab, after its break with SAD knows very well that it doesn’t have the kind of strength to win elections and therefore, it decided to go with Capt Amarinder Singh only to realize soon that Capt did not have enough sway in the State and that an alliance with his party was not going to get them the number of assembly seats they wanted.

The Indian Panorama had pointed out a couple of months ago when the center had given BSF special powers and control over 50 kilometers of area of the state of Punjab along the Pakistan border that it was the beginning of an exercise to prevent elections in Punjab. Today, we hear a clamor for imposition of president’s rule. Unconfirmed reports say that when Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Shah went to President Kovind and requested him for imposing President’s rule, President did not oblige them. BJP leaders demanding President’s rule in Punjab say that because Punjab government is not able to secure law and order which is evident from the lapse in the security of the Prime Minister, the government has no right to remain in power.
The fact is that BJP government is looking for a pretext to not hold elections in Punjab knowing full well that it has no chance of winning enough seats to be able to in any way form a government. Therefore, it is better that elections are not held. What the BJP wants is a number of Rajya Sabha members from any state because that is where they need people. They need people to be able to amend the Constitution to make India a theocratic state, a Hindu Rashtra. If opposition parties have their Raja Sabha members, that will weaken the strength of the BJP in the parliament.

We are concerned over this scenario. It’s not going to help democracy in the country. It is not going to serve the interests of the people of India. It is not going to serve the interests of the people of Punjab, and it certainly will be a bad precedent if the BJP government at the center made the issue of lapse in the security of the Prime Minister a reason for imposition of President’s rule in Punjab.