Victim’s kin to block highway on April 6

FARIDKOT: Peeved at the tardy pace of investigation and court proceedings in connection with the 2015 Behbal Kalan police firing incident in which two Sikh protesters were killed, family members of one of the victims on Friday announced to block the National Highway 54 (Bathinda-Amritsar highway) for an indefinite period from April 6.

Two Sikh protesters — Gurjeet Singh of Sarawan village and Krishan Bhagwan Singh of Niamiwala village in Faridkot district — were killed on October 14, 2015, when they were protesting against the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib.

Sukhraj Singh, son of Krishan Bhagwan, whose protest sit-in for justice entered the 107th day on Friday, said they had given the March 31 deadline to the Aam Aadmi Party government to ensure justice in 2015 sacrilege and police firing cases, but they have not received any response from the authorities.

“We blocked the National Highway 54 on March 20 but the sit-in was lifted after local administration assured us to convey our demands to the higher authorities. But no one contacted us after that. The AAP government is not serious about the sacrilege and police firing incidents.

Before coming to power, AAP leaders were vocal on the issue and used it as a poll plank. Vidhan Sabha speaker Kultar Sandhwan regularly raised this issue and continuously participated in the protests organised by us in the past. But after becoming a part of the government, he is mum on the issue,” he said.

“Investigation officer of these cases is their MLA now, but he has also not given any statement. Before becoming chief minister, Bhagwant Mann had alleged that the Congress was saving culprits but now he is also doing the same,” he added.

Sukhraj gave a call to all Panthic organisations to participate in the sit-in protest on April 6.

TWO SIKH PROTESTERS WERE KILLED ON OCT 14, 2015, WHEN THEY WERE PROTESTING AGAINST THE SACRILEGE OF GURU GRANTH SAHIB