An Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) sarpanch was shot dead by unidentified assailants during a wedding ceremony in Tarn Taran district of Punjab on Wednesday, triggering shock and concern over law and order in the region. According to police, Harpinder Singh, the AAP sarpanch of Thathian Mehta, had gone to attend a marriage function at Sidhu Farms when three armed men opened fire on him at close range.
Singh died on the spot. His cousin, Jarmanjit Singh, who was sitting beside him at the time of the attack, sustained serious injuries. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where his condition is stated to be critical.
Police sources told news agency PTI that the assailants allegedly used an AK-47 rifle in the attack. Two empty cartridges were recovered from the spot.
Villagers said Singh was an active member of the ruling AAP and a close associate of Punjab cabinet minister Laljit Singh Bhullar.
Second AAP leader killed in a month
The killing has raised fresh alarm as it comes barely a month after another AAP sarpanch, Jharmal Singh of Valtoha village in Amritsar district, was shot dead during a wedding function under similar circumstances.
Notably, the incident occurred even as the Punjab government is carrying out the second phase of its anti-gangster crackdown, "Gangsteran Te Vaar."
Police said multiple teams have been formed to identify and arrest the absconding attackers, and further investigation is underway.
BJP, Congress slam Punjab govt
BJP leader Jaiveer Shergill condemned the incident and said, "Another day, another broad daylight murder in Punjab-Murder AAP Sarpanch shot dead in a wedding function in Tarn Taran, Punjab! Punjab is witnessing a non-stop naked dance of lawlessness & death! Punjab needs to be saved from criminals & AAP!"
Punjab Congress and the Leader of Opposition, Partap Singh Bajwa, also reacted to the incident, calling it a "cold-blooded murder" that exposes what he described as a collapse of law and order in the state.
In a post on X, Bajwa alleged that under Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the AAP government, gangsters are roaming freely while the administration remains focused on public relations. He claimed that border districts are increasingly turning into crime zones and said Punjab is paying a heavy price for what he termed the government’s "bloody badlaav" (change).
(Input: Vishal Sharma)
Also Read: Goldy Brar's parents arrested from Punjab's Sri Muktsar Sahib in 2024 ransom, death threat case
