Punjabi Singer Sidhu Moose Wala shot dead, day after security withdrawn
Chandigarh, May 29: Famous Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Punjab's Mansa district, a day after the state government withdrew his security cover.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (Mansa) Gobinder Singh told PTI that several bullets hit Moosewala, 27, who was travelling along with his two friends in a jeep when he was attacked at village Jawahar Ke.
Mansa civil surgeon Ranjeet Rai told reporters that Moosewala was brought dead at the civil hospital. He said that the two others who also sustained bullet injuries have been referred to another hospital.
He had fought on the Congress ticket from Mansa assembly seat in the recent assembly election and was defeated by AAP's Vijay Singla.
Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu, known as Sidhu Moosewala, was among the 424 people whose security was withdrawn by the Punjab Police on Saturday.
Leaders of the Congress and other political parties expressed shock and anger over the killing of Moosewala and attacked the AAP government for withdrawing his security cover.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said no one involved in the gruesome murder will be spared and appealed for calm.
I am shocked and deeply saddened by the gruesome murder of Siddhu Moosewala. Nobody involved will be spared. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and his fans across the world. I appeal everyone to stay calm, said Mann in a tweet.
Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, who played a major role in bringing Moosewala into the Congress fold, said he was "shocked beyond belief and expression" and demanded dismissal of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.
''He was showered with bullets in Mansa just 2 days after @BhagwantMann govt withdrew his security. @AAPPunjab govt has lost moral authority. It must be dismissed, said Warring in a tweet.
BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa, who had earlier questioned the state government after the names of the people whose security was withdrawn became public, too demanded action against Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal.
"We have been warning Punjab Govt to pay attention to Punjab's situation. I demand an FIR against Bhagwant Mann for negligence of his Chief Ministerial duties which has cost the life of #sidhumoosewala. Bhagwant Mann along with @ArvindKejriwal should be booked u/s 302,'' he said.
Former chief minister Amarinder Singh alleged that law and order has completely collapsed in Punjab.
''Criminals have no fear of law. AAP Punjab government has miserably failed. Nobody is safe in Punjab!
The others whose security has been removed included former MLAs, two Jathedars of Takht Damdama Sahib and Takht Kesgarh Sahib, heads of Deras and serving and retired policemen.
Moosewala had joined the Congress last year ahead of the Punjab assembly polls.
The singer had faced criticism from several quarters for promoting gun culture in his songs. He had also been booked for allegedly promoting violence through his song ''Sanju''.
He was booked under the Arms Act and the Disaster Management Act in Barnala after photographs showing him firing an AK-47 rifle at a firing range during the COVID-19 lockdown appeared on social media.
Shocking to hear about death of #sidhumoosewala in a shootout-not sharing the videos received via WhatsApp due to sensitivity but shot at many times
— Jaiveer Shergill (@JaiveerShergill) May 29, 2022
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Cong min, MLAs meet Rajanna, BJP leader invites him to join party
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Bengaluru (PTI): Senior BJP leader B Sriramulu has invited K N Rajanna, who was recently sacked as minister from the Congress government, to join the party along with his son and MLC Rajendra Rajanna, even as a state minister and some ruling party legislators met the MLA.
This group of Congress MLAs along with Minister Satish Jarkiholi met Rajanna at his residence on Wednesday and held discussions.
"The whole community (ST/Valmiki) and its leaders are with you, come to BJP. You and your son come to BJP. Myself, Shivanagouda Nayaka, Raju Gowda and all our leaders, we will welcome you into the party and ensure that you will get more respect than us in the party," Sriramulu said.
He said Rajanna was sacked for speaking the truth.
Rajanna, who was Cooperative Minister was removed from the cabinet on Monday, following directions from the Congress high command, according to party sources. His recent comments on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's "votes theft" allegations during 2024 Lok Sabha polls, seems to have proved costly for him.
He had said that voter lists for the polls were prepared under the Congress government in Karnataka, and had questioned his own party as to why they didn't stop the irregularities then.
Meanwhile, Rajanna's supporters staged a protest in Tumakuru opposing his sacking from the Siddaramaiah-led cabinet.
Congress MLAs Raghumurthy, Basavanthappa, Anil Chikkamadhu, among others met Rajanna along with Satish Jarkiholi and held discussions.
Speaking to reporters, Jarkiholi said, "This was just a meeting."
"This was a meeting to tell him that we are with him and as part of our friendship, we tried to instill confidence in him. He said he is satisfied with his performance as minister for two years and there is a misunderstanding about him in Delhi (leadership) and that he will go to Delhi and convince the high command."
Asked whether Rajanna will go to Delhi alone or whether they too would join him as a delegation, he said, "Delegation going is different from him (Rajanna) going. He has to go and explain to the high command."
A delegation will be going to seek filling up of two ST vacancies in the cabinet, he said, "We will ask that they should be filled up without any delay and the same portfolios should be given to the Valmiki (ST) community. This is the demand. We will go after the (current Assembly) session."
Rajanna is the second minister to be out of Siddaramaiah's Cabinet, after the Congress came to power in 2023.
Last year, Bellary MLA B Nagendra had to resign following allegations against him in connection with embezzlement at the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki ST Development Corporation.
To a question on Rajanna earlier claiming a conspiracy against him, Jarkiholi said, "There is a conspiracy, he (Rajanna) has said that he will speak when time comes, it's left to him."
Responding to a question on taking Rajanna back to cabinet, he said, it is left to the high command, CM and the party president to decide.
