2015 sacrilege cases: SAD (A)’s panthic gathering gets tepid response

Apart from SAD (A) leaders, only Kotkapura MLA Kultar Singh Sandhwan and actor Sonia Mann joined the protest. Organisations part of the Bargari sacrilege stayed away, despite the call

Faridkot Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) on Sunday held a ‘panthic’ gathering at Bargari village in Faridkot district, to protest against the delay in justice for 2015 sacrilege incidents and subsequent police firing on protesters. They also blamed the special investigation team (SIT) for not naming Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh as the accused in a case registered in connection with the 2015 Bargari sacrilege incident while filing a charge-sheet in a Faridkot court.

SAD (A) has also announced that August 15 will be observed as a Black Day. (HT Photo)

Apart from SAD (A) leaders, only Kotkapura MLA Kultar Singh Sandhwan and actor Sonia Mann joined the protest. Organisations part of the Bargari sacrilege stayed away, despite the call.

SAD (A) president Simranjit Singh Mann claimed, “Even after six years, nothing has been done in sacrilege cases. Arrest warrants has been issued against three dera men, Sandeep Bretta, Harsh Dhuri and Pardeep Kaler, but police have failed to find them.”

After the protest, 36th five-member group of SAD (A) leaders, along with others, marched from the gurudwara to the Dana Mandi at Bargari only to be detained by the police. SAD (A) has also announced that August 15 will be observed as a Black Day to protest against the delay in justice in sacrilege cases and to support farmer agitation.

Mann also appealed to people to hoist black flags on their houses and tie black turbans in protest.