Chandigarh, August 29: Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar on Wednesday lashed out at SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal as General Dyer of Behbal Kalan, for his dubious role in the sacrilege incidents of holy Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji.
The Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) demanded thorough investigation into the charges of dereliction of duty by Sukhbir, who was then the state Home Minister, as proved by the Justice (Retd.) Ranjit Singh Commission report.
Jakhar said Sukhbir was evidently the evil behind the sacrilege case as he had clearly colluded with Sirsa Dera to foment communal strife in the state by stage-managing the tragic incident, grievously hurting the religious sentiments of Punjabis. The SAD was only following in the footsteps of its bigger coalition partner – the BJP – in promoting communal divide in the state, he said.
Addressing a joint press conference with Cabinet Ministers Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa and Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Jakhar listed various charges for Sukhbir to answer in the people’s court. MLA Patti Harminder Singh Gill, MLA Gidderbaha Raja Warring, MLA Faridkot Kushaldeep Singh Dhillon, MLA Zira Kulbir Singh Zira, MLA Ajnala Harpartap Singh Ajnala, MLA Gurdaspur Barindermeet Singh Pahra, MLA Ferozpur Urban Parminder Singh Pinki were also present on the occasion.
Sukhbir deserved the harshest punishment for his tardy handling of the Behbal Kalan case which resulted in the killing of innocent persons, said Jakhar, adding that the people of Punjab would never forgive SAD for violation of their faith.
Sukhbir was scared of visiting the victim families and till date had not shared the grief of those Sikhs who were first tortured by the police and then let off saying there was nothing against them, Jakhar said, referring to the plight of two Sikhs who were paraded before the media by Sukhbir claiming that the sacrilege conspirators had been caught. One of them cannot walk properly even today, Jakhar said, asking Sukhbir to go and apologise to the victim families.
Even the Zora Singh Commission, which was constituted by the SAD government, had established that people had been fired upon from a very close range and the intention was to kill and not threaten the protestors, he added.
Jakhar demanded that Sukhbir come out in open about the facts leading to the eventual unfortunate incident of firing at the unarmed people and subsequent killing of those protesting peacefully after the sacrilege incident at Bargari.
Sukhbir should come forward to explain whether, as the Home Minister, he ordered the DGP to fire at the peaceful protestors and if not, then how did then DGP Sumedh Singh Saini dare to defy his orders, demanded Jakhar. It was Sukhbir Badal who had then appealed to the protestors to perform `paths’ at the site of sacrilege, Jakhar pointed out, demanding to know how he could then order firing on the same people at Kotkapura and Behbal Kallan.
People of Punjab need these answers from Sukhbir Badal, who Jakhar stressed, had not only failed the state as Home Minister but also as the head of a Panthic party which had, for many years, been manipulating the religious feelings of Punjabis.
Lashing out at Parkash Singh Badal for saving his son in the entire episode, the veteran Congress leader stressed that Sukhbir was being shielded by senior Badal. Parkash Singh Badal knows that both he and his son were directly involved in this atrocious and unpardonable act, Jakhar said.
Castigating the Akali leadership for making a mockery of this sensitive issue by tearing the copies of the Commission’s report and selling it outside the Assembly, Jakhar underscored that this crass behaviour of Sukhbir showed his party’s mentality. Instead of holding a so-called parallel session outside the House, Badals should have faced the people and their questions inside the Vidhan Sabha, he added.
The deal struck by Badals with the Dera Sirsa in Mumbai for release of a movie could be a business deal, Jakhar observed, adding that the question was – “did it lead to the deliberate vitiation of hard earned peace in Punjab.”
Responding to a media query, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa said that meeting Sikh preacher Daduwal was no offence and in no way could absolve Badals of their misdeeds. If somebody comes to meet me at my home, would I not meet him? the minister added
