CM Bhagwant Mann must apologise for insulting Akal Takht, says SAD

Addressing a press conference here, SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema asked the chief minister “to apologise for filing a complaint to remove a tweet of the jathedar from social media.”

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Wednesday asked chief minister Bhagwant Mann to apologise for insulting Akal Takht as well as its jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh. The party also demanded the release of all ‘innocent’ Sikh youths, who have been wrongly detained.

Chief minister Bhagwant Mann (HT Photo)

Addressing a press conference here, SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema asked the chief minister “to apologise for filing a complaint to remove a tweet of the jathedar from social media.”

“Jathedar sahib convened a meeting of intellectuals and political leaders to discuss the state’s crackdown against Sikh youths. The chief minister has not only insulted the jathedar but also previous jathedars of Akal Takht, besides, politicising a case which was essentially one of human rights abuses,” Cheema said.

Bajwa seeks Mann’s resignation

Chandigarh Hours after absconding pro-Khalistan preacher Amritpal Singh released a video statement on social media, leader of opposition in Punjab Partap Singh Bajwa, on Wednesday, demanded the immediate resignation of chief minister Bhagwant Mann. In a tweet, the Congress leader said the dramatic appearance of Amritpal Singh has completely debunked the claims of the Punjab advocate general before the high court that the police were close to apprehending him. “It has been proved beyond doubt that there’s no semblance of a government in Punjab and life and property of the people is at the mercy of god,” he tweeted. He also said that if Mann had even a modicum of self-respect, he should tender his resignation immediately.