By IANS
Amritsar : The resignation of a Punjab police head constable protesting the recent homage paid to Khalistan ideologue Jagjit Singh Chohan by state assembly has left the Parkash Singh Badal-led Akali Dal government embarrassed.
Jaswant Singh, who is posted here, resigned Wednesday saying that he did not feel like being part of the state police in a government that was paying homage to former terrorists.
"I don't want to work under this government that eulogises former terrorists. These people like Chohan were responsible for the killing of so many people, including policemen, during Punjab's terrorism days. I have fought terrorism during its peak and have seen several colleagues being killed in action. It's a shame that their sacrifices have been forgotten and those responsible for terrorism are being paid homage," Jaswant Singh said Friday.
The policeman, who has been in Punjab police for 19 years, said he was not worried about his fate. He said that the Amritsar district police chief Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh called him Thursday and asked him to withdraw the resignation but he refused.
In his resignation letter, Jaswant Singh said that he would be proud to do labour and earn two square meals a day than to work under a government that promotes terrorists.
The head constable's resignation has also stirred the Punjab police top brass and other ranks.
Former state police chief K.P.S. Gill told a news channel from New Delhi that it was "unfortunate" that Chohan was paid tributes despite his direct link with terrorism.
"Police officials who fought bravely to defeat terrorism are being hounded. What Jaswant Singh has done is absolutely right," Gill said.
Chohan, who died two months ago at Tanda town in Punjab, was given flowing tributes by Badal and other Akalis in the assembly last month despite protests from the opposition Congress that he wanted a Khalistan – a separate Sikh state once demanded by radical Sikhs – ideologue and had lent open support to terrorism in Punjab between 1982-95.
Chohan was a member of the Punjab assembly in 1960s and was even the state finance minister in 1967.
A doctor by profession, he later went abroad and spearheaded the Khalistan movement from Britain. He declared himself as 'president' of Khalistan.
Once sought by Indian intelligence agencies for his separatist ideology, Chohan was allowed to come back to India six years ago and had set up a charitable hospital in his hometown Tanda, 190 km from Chandigarh.
Last year, he was also booked for sedition.
The head constable also blamed All India Anti-Terrorist Front leader Maninderjit Singh Bitta and state Health Minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla for not saying a word when homage was being paid to Chohan.