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Sikh outfits announce morcha from July 1 if sacrilege, firing culprits not arrested
Sikh organisations, including hardliners, on Tuesday announced to start a morcha from July 1 if the Punjab government failed to arrest those responsible for the 2015 sacrilege and subsequent police firing incidents
Sikh organisations, including hardliners, on Tuesday announced to start a morcha from July 1 if the Punjab government failed to arrest those responsible for the 2015 sacrilege and subsequent police firing incidents.
Marking the sixth anniversary of the sacrilege incident at Burj Jawahar Singh Wala village, Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (ad hoc) president Baljit Singh Daduwal said the desecration was unfortunate and successive governments failed to provide justice.
The event was held at the Bargari gurdwara.
“The Bargari Morcha was lifted on the Congress government’s assurance. First it was the Badals and now it’s Captain Amarinder Singh who failed to rise to the occasion. We are giving one-month time to the government to put the guilty of sacrilege and police firing behind the bars,” he said.
“The investigation officers made efforts to provide justice. We have full faith in special investigation team (SIT). All the witnesses will give them full support. But we don’t trust Amarinder Singh,” he added.
Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) president Simranjit Singh Mann said, “We demand arrest of (former chief minister) Parkash Singh Badal, (Shiromani Akali Dal president) Sukhbir Badal and (ex-DGP) Sumedh Singh Saini for their involvement in sacrilege and police firing. In view of the Covid-19 outbreak, I ask the sangat to reach the morcha venue in an 11-member group each from all the districts every day. The groups will go back in the evening.”
Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt) leaders led by party president Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and patron Ranjit Singh Bramhpura reached the Burj Jawahar Singh Wala village gurudwara and held an ardas. Daduwal also joined the SAD (Sanyukt) leaders during the ardas before reaching Bargari.
But they did not address the gathering. Dhindsa said, “Instead of providing justice, CM Amarinder and the Badals are doing politics on sacrilege and police firing.”
Party leader Nidharak Singh Brar said the release of Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda chief Ram Rahim on parole and ardas by a pathi hurt the sentiments of Sikhs.
Sukhraj Singh, son of Bhagwan Krishan who died in the Behbal Kalan firing incident, said Dhindsa and Brahmpura never visited the sacrilege-hit villages nor did they meet the victims of police firing in the last six years. “They are only pursuing their political agenda,” he added.
Also, the Sikh leaders got into a minor scuffle over holding each other responsible for lifting the Bargari Morcha in 2018.
Capt worked to save guilty: AAP
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders led by leader of opposition Harpal Singh Cheema also visited the Burj Jawahar Singh Wala gurdwara. Later, they went to Sarawan village and met the family of Gurjeet Singh who was killed in the Behbal Kalan firing.
Cheema said if voted to power in 2022, the AAP government will put behind the bars those guilty of sacrilege. “The only thing Amarinder Singh has done is to save the culprits through special inquiry committees and court proceedings,” he said.
