Akali Dal Betrayed People on Sacrilege Issue, Made a Mockery of the Investigation: Baltej Pannu

Chandigarh (The Uttam Hindu): The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has strongly hit back at statements made by Akali leaders over the special session of the Assembly convened by the AAP government to enact a law on the sacrilege issue. The party accused the Akalis of shedding crocodile tears and emphasized that, for the first time, a strict law against sacrilege is being introduced in Punjab under the AAP government.

AAP leader Baltej Pannu said that the Akali Dal (Badal) is now getting worried upon hearing about the strict law being formulated regarding sacrilege. He stated that every Punjabi knows how these people betrayed the people of Punjab on the sacrilege issue and made a mockery of the investigation.

He said that the Akalis refused to accept the report of the committee formed under former Justice Zora Singh. Moreover, they sold the Justice Ranjit Singh Committee report by the kilo outside the Assembly. He said the whole of Punjab knows how these people used the sacrilege incidents for political gain and interfered in the investigation. Had they wanted to make a law, they could have done so before 2017.

Pannu referred to the sacrilege incident that occurred in Nakodar in 1986 and said that at the time, four people protesting were killed by the police. Later, when a government led by Parkash Singh Badal was formed, they promoted the police officers responsible for the crime and appointed them to high positions. The report of that investigation was also never made public by these people.

He further stated that during the sacrilege incidents in 2015, Sukhbir Badal was the Deputy Chief Minister and also held the Home Ministry portfolio. At that time, the police used batons and water cannons on peacefully protesting Sikh devotees. Two people were martyred in Behbal Kalan after being shot by the police. Even today, people are waiting for justice.

He said that the AAP government is bringing a bill in the upcoming Assembly session to completely prevent sacrilege incidents so that in the future, no one dares to insult the holy scriptures of any religion and the religious sentiments of people of all faiths remain protected at all times.