MOGA: Unidentified gangsters opened fire on a group of migrant labourers in Moga town of Punjab on Monday, leaving two workers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar seriously injured in what appears to be a targeted attack. The incident has sparked fresh concerns over the deteriorating law and order situation in the state.
According to police sources, the firing took place in a densely populated area where migrant labourers were residing in rented accommodation. The assailants, who arrived on a motorcycle, fired multiple shots before fleeing the spot. The injured labourers were rushed to a nearby hospital, where their condition is stated to be serious but stable.
Soon after the incident, a social media post surfaced in which a gangster group claimed responsibility for the attack. The post carried a threatening message alleging that migrant labourers were “spoiling the atmosphere of Punjab, ” raising fears of an attempt to incite social tension and target vulnerable communities.
Senior police officials said they were verifying the authenticity of the social media claim and examining CCTV footage from the area. Security has been tightened in Moga and adjoining districts, and police teams have been deployed to trace the attackers.
The attack has once again brought the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government under fire over its handling of law and order. The incident occurred even as the Punjab Police continues its special drive, Operation ‘Parihar’, aimed at arresting wanted gangsters. Another flagship campaign, ‘Gangstran Te Vaar’, launched to curb organised crime, has also come under criticism as violent incidents continue unabated across the state.
Only a day earlier, Punjab witnessed another shocking crime when a student allegedly shot dead a girl student in Tarn Taran before turning the weapon on himself. The state has seen a spate of targeted killings, extortion threats, and firing incidents in recent months, despite repeated assurances by the government of cracking down on organised crime.
Opposition parties have accused the government of failing to protect both locals and migrant workers, warning that such attacks could disrupt communal harmony and economic activity in the state, where migrant labour forms a crucial part of the workforce.