Judicial probe in Sidhu Moosewala killing as political row deepens

The echo of the incident was also felt in Haryana, where the BJP government cancelled an upcoming programme of CM Khattar with singer Daler Mehndi

The daring assassination of Punjabi singer-politician Siddhu Moosewala, in which 30 shots were fired in broad daylight on Sunday, is turning out to be a political flashpoint.

The Opposition's demands ranged from FIR against Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to clamping President's Rule in the border state.

CM Bhagwant Mann on Monday has already announced setting up a judicial commission headed by a sitting high court judge to probe the incident.

Also read — Sidhu Moosewala killing seems result of inter-gang rivalry, says Punjab DGP

The row reverberated on Monday beyond Punjab. The Congress held a protest outside the Delhi CM and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal's residence, and the Youth Congress kicked up a fuss outside AAP's office in Jammu. BJP's CM in adjoining poll-bound state Himachal Pradesh, Jairam Thakur, alleged that Punjab's law and order situation has deteriorated since AAP came to power two months ago.

"President's rule should be imposed in Punjab immediately. It is not AAP's cup of tea to run a government," Congress MLA from Himachal Pradesh Vikramaditya Singh said.

AAP has been making a serious bid for power in Himachal, where politics has been bi-polar between BJP and Congress.

The echo of the incident was also felt in Haryana, where the BJP government cancelled an upcoming programme of CM Manohar Lal Khattar with singer Daler Mehndi at Gurugram.

Also read — Singer and Cong leader Sidhu Moosewala shot dead in Punjab

While the Congress has termed the incident a "political murder", a delegation of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) met Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit to seek an NIA probe into the matter and dismissal of the AAP government in Punjab.

Adding a twist to the tale is the contrived Canadian connection with Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar, belonging to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, claiming responsibility for the crime, according to the police.

The Punjab Police on Monday also detained five persons who are being interrogated.

On Sunday, the slain singer's father had asked for such a probe besides an investigation by a team having CBI and NIA officers.

Moosewala was left with two Punjab Police commandos after the state police withdrew two of the four commandos from his security cover. But he had taken neither the remaining two commandos nor his bulletproof vehicle with him on Sunday.