Sanjha Morcha

Emulate Gill, Capt tells young officers

Emulate Gill, Capt tells young officers
Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh and senior BJP leader Laxmi Kanta Chawla pay tribute to ex-DGP KPS Gill in New Delhi. Mukesh Aggarwal

New Delhi, June 3

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today exhorted the people of Punjab to work for peace which, he said, would be a befitting tribute to former DGP KPS Gill. The latter, who is credited with crushing terrorism in Punjab, succumbed to a kidney ailment on May 26. He was 82.Speaking at Gill’s bhog ceremony at the Constitution Club here, Amarinder Singh said: “A true tribute to the great man would be to ensure peace in Punjab for which he had fought.” He said Gill had led from the front when the Punjab Police was a demoralised force. “Only those who lived through those dark days of terrorism can appreciate his role.” Recalling Gill’s “Operation Night Dominance” to restore the confidence of the people, he hoped that young police officers would draw inspiration from him and emulate him.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)Asked if he was breaking tradition by attending Gill’s bhog, the CM replied: “He (Gill) was my friend and a great man.” Punjab DGP Suresh Arora said Gill was a “messiah” for the police force. “He led us during the days of terrorism. For the Punjab Police, he never did retire. I continued to consult him even after he had retired.” Promising to protect peace and amity in Punjab, he added: “We will not let him (Gill) down.”Calling him “Punjab ka Jarnail (General)”, former BJP minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla said those who respected the country’s unity and integrity would appreciate Gill’s contribution.Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda arrived along with MLA Karan Singh Dalal. He described Gill as “a true nationalist.” Others at the bhog ceremony were president of the All-India Anti-Terrorist Front MS Bitta, Congress MPs Abhijit Mukherjee and KTS Tulsi, former captain of the Indian hockey team Ajitpal Singh, Punjab MLA Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi and adviser to Punjab CM BIS Chahal, besides bureaucrats. No leader from AAP or the SAD attended the bhog. — TNS