‘Never gave orders for firing on anti-sacrilege protesters’
CHANDIGARH: Breaking his silence on the Justice Ranjit Singh Commission report that has touched off a political storm in Punjab, former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal on Saturday said he had never passed any orders for firing on anti-sacrilege protesters in 2015.
In a hard-hitting statement, Akali patriarch said he, as then chief minister, had given clear and firm instructions for peaceful resolution of all issues (arising out of desecration of Guru Granth Sahib) through discussion and dialogue.
“At no stage was the issue of police firing even considered and nor were any orders passed by me in this regard,” Badal said, alluding to the Congress government-appointed panel’s report that has indicted both Badal and his son Sukhbir Singh Badal, then home minister, for the police firing in Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan that led to killing of two Sikh protesters.
“I remained in live contact with the district administration officials and the DGP well past midnight as the situation was extremely critical,” Badal said. He said his government had handed over the entire case to the CBI. “We wanted a totally credible and transparent solution. It was in the pursuit of this that we set up Zora Singh commission and formed an SIT. The same SIT has been functioning with the same officers under the present government too” he added. Badal also lashed out at chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh for “using foul and cheap language” against him in the Punjab assembly session last week. The commission report was tabled and debated even as Akali-bjp MLAS abstained from the House.
Accusing Amarinder of lowering the dignity of chief minister’s office, Badal took an exception to the use of expressions such as “badmash, buzdil, liar and unreliable” for him. “But I expected nothing better than this from a leader who is not only a rank opportunist but is also devoid of moral character and given to pursuits of unethical leisure and pleasure,” he said.
FORMER CM LASHES OUT AT AMARINDER FOR ‘USING FOUL LANGUAGE’ AGAINST HIM IN THE ASSEMBLY SESSION
JALANDHAR : To take full mileage of the prevailing ‘anti-badals’ sentiment among people in the upcoming polls for Panchayati Raj Institutions, Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar on Saturday addressed Akali Dal chief as Sukhbir Singh ‘Insan’, while announcing to distribute translated copies of Justice Ranjit Singh Commission report to the people.
Taking part in an event here, Jakhar launched a sharp verbal attack on the Badal clan, especially former deputy chief minister Sukhbir Badal.
Addressing him as ‘Sukhbir Singh Insan’, Jakhar blamed the former deputy chief minister for firing at Behbal Kalan and demanded a clear answer.
“Sukhbir must tell whether he gave the orders for firing or the then DGP Sumedh Saini acted on his own? Until no satisfactory answer is given, the onus will lie on Sukhbir for this barbaric crime,” he said.
“Either Sukhbir was so incompetent that the then director general of police bypassed him and ordered the firing or it was Akali Dal chief himself who ordered the firing. The answer needs to be given by Sukhbir himself,” Jakhar went on to add.
Taking a dig at Akali Dal’s call to burn effigies, Jakhar said that Sukhbir and his associates should instead burn the effigies of those who backstabbed the ‘panth’ and bruised the Sikh psyche in connivance with the Dera Sacha Sauda chief.
Jakhar said Akalis shied away from a debate on the issue in the state assembly because they were afraid of facing the truth knowing that Behbal Kalan firing was “handiwork of Sukhbir and his over-loyal officers”.