Punjab jails minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa on Wednesday said the probe in the sacrilege incidents by the state government constituted special investigation team (SIT) was moving in right direction. The minister was in Amritsar to inaugurate the Government Senior Secondary ‘Smart School’ at Mall Road here.
His statement comes two days after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s former legislator HS Phoolka said that he was ready to return his Padma Shri if that was the precondition to arrest former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and former DGP Sumedh Singh Saini in Behbal Kalan police firing incident.
Randhawa said, “The SIT-led probe in sacrilege cases was moving in right direction. Those who were involved in the sacrilege incidents were arrested. Even those policemen who opened fire on people protesting in Bebhal Kalan and Kotakpura against sacrilege incidents were also booked and sent behind bars. Phoolka had no time. He was expecting the AAP to form government in Punjab. But, the party failed and he does not want to stop his business as advocate in Delhi.”
Earlier, five ministers of the state government, including Randhawa, in a joint statement, had challenged Phoolka that if he was genuinely concerned about the issue and its implications, he should have returned the Padma Shri awarded to him by the BJP government, which had pressurised the CBI into filing a closure report in the Bargari case. Alleging inaction by the Congress government on Bargari sacrilege, Phoolka had resigned from the Punjab Vidhan Sabha in October last year. But the resignation was accepted by the Speaker last week only after Phoolka threatened to move Supreme Court against the delay in acceptance of his resignation. Phoolka had also appealed to five other MLAs to resign from the Vidhan Sabha.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier, five ministers of the state government, including Randhawa, in a joint statement, had challenged Phoolka that if he was genuinely concerned about the issue and its implications, he should have returned the Padma Shri awarded to him by the BJP government, which had pressurised the CBI into filing a closure report in the Bargari case. Alleging inaction by the Congress government on Bargari sacrilege, Phoolka had resigned from the Punjab Vidhan Sabha in October last year. But the resignation was accepted by the Speaker last week only after Phoolka threatened to move Supreme Court against the delay in acceptance of his resignation. Phoolka had also appealed to five other MLAs to resign from the Vidhan Sabha.
{{/usCountry}}“It was Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)’s government in Punjab for at least one- and-half-year, but the then deputy CM Sukhbir Badal failed to act against culprits of the sacrilege incidents. He has also given statements on CBI closure report in sacrilege cases and I felt that he was speaking at the behest of Dera Sacha Sauda followers,” said Randhawa. He said, “Now Sukhbir is demanding inquiry into the sacrilege cases from a sitting judge of the Supreme Court (SC). Why did he not do the same when he was a home minister in the SAD-BJP government?”