Chandigarh: Punjab Agriculture Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal on Friday accused the former Congress Chief Minister Amarinder Singh of being “hand in glove” with the Badal family to protect his vested interests, that prevented a fair probe into the incidents of desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib. He said that for seven long years the Sikh sangat was misled by these two families, but now justice will be delivered.
Addressing a press conference at Punjab Bhawan, the Punjab Cabinet Minister Dhaliwal, accompanied by Manwinder Singh Giaspura, MLA Payal and Gurpreet Gogi MLA Ludhiana West, said that it was unfortunate that perpetrators of the sacrilege of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, and those killed in subsequent police firing at Kotkapura, have not been brought to book only because of nefarious Congress and SAD governments.
He said that neither Akali Dal nor Congress CMs including Capt Amarinder and Charanjit Singh Channi cared about the sentiments of the Sikh Sangat . “Whole of Punjab knows that Badals and Captain were hand-in-glove with each other. Due to their mutual understanding, no punishment was given in Bargari and Behbal Kalan firing incident culprits. But now the Bhagwant Mann government which has come to change things, will deliver justice very soon and all perpetrators of this crime will be taken to task for their sins,” AAP Minister said.
The Minister said that former CM Capt Amarinder had even sworn on the of “Gutka Sahib” (religious book) before the 2017 Assembly elections that justice in desecration of Guru Granth Sahib will be ensured. But to his understanding with Badals, he did not act. Even Mohinder Pal Bittu accused of 2015 sacrilege incident was killed in jail during Congress regime when Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa was Home Minister, but the investigation into the case was never done.
Replying to a media query that Sukhbir Badal has denied ordering firing on Sikh protesters in 2015, Dhaliwal lashed out at him saying, “He is lying because no police officer can open fire without taking permission from CM or Home Minister. Now the SIT has summoned Badal and all facts will be cleared during a fair investigation,” Minister said.
Minister also dared Badal to clarify if the officers present at the Kotkapura on the day of the firing, were in contact with him? And on whose order did the officers fire, did he order the officers to fire? As Home Minister, did the authorities inform him? If the officers themselves fired, what action was taken by him as Home Minister, against them?
He stressed that people of Punjab have ensured a landslide victory to AAP hoping for a change. The government led CM Mann is working painstakingly to fulfill all its promises and action against venal leaders will be initiated as per the law soon.