The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab government on Thursday informed the Punjab and Haryana high court that the earlier withdrawn security of 400-odd protectees will be restored on June 7. The development comes days after singer and Congress leader Sidhu Moose Wala, whose security cover was downgraded, was shot dead.
The state government told the high court about its decision to restore security cover during a hearing on Thursday, though no written submission was given. The government further said that the withdrawal was decided in view of additional force deployment for Operation Blue Star anniversary, which is on June 6. The high court was hearing a petition by former Punjab deputy chief minister OP Soni, who is among the over 400 protectees in the state whose security cover was downsized.
Soni’s plea had sought quashing of the state government’s May 11 order wherein his ‘Z’ security cover was de-categorised, and security personnel was subsequently withdrawn.
