The Bhagwant Mann government on Thursday told the Punjab and Haryana high court that it will restore security cover of over 400 VVIPs. The development comes days after Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala was shot dead in Punjab.

The security of the 424 VVIPs will be restored on June 7.

Shubhdeep Singh alias Sidhu Moose Wala had left his house around 4.30 pm on Sunday when he was shot dead in Punjab's Mansa district, a day after the state government withdrew his security cover.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab curtailed last month the security cover provided to 424 VIPs in the state including Giani Harpreet Singh, the officiating jathedar of Sikhs supreme temporal seat Akal Takht.

The decision to withdraw security was prominently flashed by several Punjabi and Hindi channels while mentioning the names of a few prominent personalities, especially Akal Takht jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh.

However, it created a major controversy in the state after the jathedar said that he was sending back his remaining security also. This led to a major backlash from Sikh circles and caused a lot of bad publicity in the state. As police officials rushed for damage control and conveyed that the jathedar’s full security cover was being restored, he refused to take it back.

"Big action on VIP security in Punjab: withdrew the security of 424 persons including the Akal Takht jathedar, heads of deras, present ADGP, singer Moosewala," the AAP poster read.

Image courtesy: PTI