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Behbal Kalan firing: Protestors block NH54, give two-day ultimatum to government
Protestors demanded speedy justice in the 2015 Behbal Kalan police firing and sacrilege cases and later lifted the NH54 blockage
: Family members of the victims of 2015 Behbal Kalan police firing along with Sikh organisations on Wednesday blocked the Bathinda-Amritsar national highway protesting against the tardy pace of investigation in the sacrilege and firing cases but later lifted the blockade, giving the government a two-day ultimatum to formulate a deadline to bring the perpetrators to justice.
The protesters started an indefinite ‘Beadbi Insaaf Morcha’ at the site of the police firing incident and had blocked one side of the highway (NH 54) by installing tents and starting an ‘akhand path’. Later, NH 54 was completely blocked from both sides by the protestors, allowing only emergency vehicles and farmers going to mandis for procurement to pass.
However, the protesters lifted the NH 54 blockage at around 9 pm after talks with the state government’s delegation, led by senior lawyers, and gave them two-day’s time to return with a deadline to bring these cases to a logical conclusion.
Two Sikh protesters — Gurjeet Singh of Sarawan village and Krishan Bhagwan Singh of Niamiwala village in Faridkot district — were killed on October 14, 2015, when they were protesting against the sacrilege incident.
“Only the blockage has been lifted and two days’ time is given to the government. However, the ‘Beadbi Insaf Morcha’ will continue on Behbal Kala incident site. After two days, the government’s proposal will be discussed with the sangat and further action will be decided afterwards,”
Sukhraj Singh, son of Krishan, whose protest sit-in for justice entered the 114th day, said.
“The morcha will continue until justice is served by the government and people are not satisfied with their action. We have given everything to the government in writing but nothing has been done so far,” Sukhraj said while addressing the gathering.
Former Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu also joined the protest. He was accompanied by former Congress MLA Harminder Singh Gill, former MLAs Jagdev Singh Kamalu, Harvinder Singh Laddi and Sukhwinder Singh Danny Bandala.
“We have been punished for not providing justice. I lost from my seat and our government was defeated. I apologise for failing to fulfil the promises made by our government,” Gill, who was part of the Congress government’s team on whose assurance Bargari Morcha was lifted, said.
Sidhu asked the AAP government to set-up fast track courts for speedy trials in the sacrilege and police firing incidents.
AAP Faridkot MLA Gurdit Singh Sekhon, who also joined the protest, said that he has joined as a Sikh. “Today we are in the government, so we cannot say that we can’t do anything. If a government cannot give justice, then nobody can. I will talk with the government on this issue, I have already talked with the SSP on this. We will not ask you to lift morcha until justice is not served,” he said. ENDS
