Former Congress MLA from Bholath, Sukhpal Khaira, on Monday demanded an unconditional apology from chief minister Parkash Singh Badal for allegedly publically praising Bibi Jagir Kaur, who was convicted in the abduction and forcible abortion of her daughter Harpreet Kaur recently.
"It is a matter of great shame that people of the stature of Badal, who is supposed to lead people by example, are publically eulogising people like Bibi Jagir Kaur, who has been sentenced to five-year rigorous imprisonment by a special CBI court," the Congress leader said in a press statement here.
The CM had praised Bibi Jagir Kaur for her services during a public function held at Begowal on Sunday in memory of late Sant Prem Singh Muralewale, and prayed that she be released early so that she could serve the state as a minister again.
"What message is the CM sending out to the youth of Punjab? Does he want the youth to become criminal like her? The chief minister's saying that he prays for the early return of Bibi Jagir Kaur from jail so that she can again be appointed a minister amounts to influencing the course of justice, since an appeal of Bibi Jagir Kaur and others against their conviction is pending in Punjab and Haryana high court," Khaira said.
"Badal has been, from the very beginning, protecting and shielding Bibi Jagir Kaur in the Harpreet murder case. Due to political pressure exerted by Badal, who was the CM when Harpreet died under mysterious circumstances on April 20, 2000, no FIR was allowed to be registered nor a post-mortem allowed to be conducted on the deceased. Thereafter, in order to destroy evidence, Badal specially flew to Begowal as early as 9am on April 21, 2000, to supervise a hurried funeral of Harpreet," he alleged.
{{/usCountry}}"Badal has been, from the very beginning, protecting and shielding Bibi Jagir Kaur in the Harpreet murder case. Due to political pressure exerted by Badal, who was the CM when Harpreet died under mysterious circumstances on April 20, 2000, no FIR was allowed to be registered nor a post-mortem allowed to be conducted on the deceased. Thereafter, in order to destroy evidence, Badal specially flew to Begowal as early as 9am on April 21, 2000, to supervise a hurried funeral of Harpreet," he alleged.
{{/usCountry}}"Therefore, the Congress demands that the CBI investigate Badal's role in destroying evidence and influencing the course of justice. The Congress also demands an unconditional apology from the CM for eulogising Bibi Jagir Kaur and in the process misleading the youth and society," the former MLA added.