Chandigarh, July 21: Asserting that the Punjab government has zero-tolerance towards gangster culture, Higher education minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer on Thursday appealed to notorious criminals still active in Punjab to shun the path of violence and return to the social mainstream.
Addressing a press conference here at Punjab Bhawan, the minister said that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh is making all efforts for the eventual rehabilitation of remaining criminals.
“I appeal to the gangsters still at large in Punjab to shun the path of crime and come back into the social mainstream. Our government will adopt a soft stand towards them but gangsters will have to meet their fate under the law,” Hayer said.
Hayer pointed out, that earlier criminals were patronised by politicians and the police but under the Mann government, no one will be allowed to disturb the hard-earned peace of the state at any cost. The Punjab police is committed to maintain the law and order in the state.
He categorically said that these dreadful criminals should bear in mind that they cannot evade the law any longer and that the path adopted by them will lead them to doom.
Praising the functioning of the Punjab police in neutralising two wanted gangsters, involved in the gruesome killing of popular singer Sidhu Moosewala, in an encounter in Amritsar yesterday, he appealed to youngsters not to stray and get lured by the gun culture. Minister Hayer said that Sidhu Moosewala’s mother is grief-stricken after the murder of her only son and similarly the kin of the deceased gangsters would also be grieved. “This is why it is important that youngsters of Punjab should shun gangsterism and instead work to make Punjab a great state once again.
Reacting to a media query, the minister said that he urges criminals and gangsters to return to the social mainstream and state government is also putting efforts to rehabilitate surrendered gangsters.
