Sacrilege row: Justice has been delayed, but we won’t spare the guilty, says Randhawa
AMRITSAR/DERA BABA NANAK: Punjab jails and cooperation minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa on Sunday admitted that justice has been delayed in the 2015 Behbal Kalan police firing and Bargari sacrilege incidents. He, however, said the government will not spare the guilty.
Randhawa was addressing volunteers of various Sikh organisations who staged a protest outside his residence at Dhirowali village in Dera Baba Nanak sub-division of Gurdaspur district, seeking justice in the Bargari and Behbal Kalan incidents. Agreeing to the demands of protesters, Randhawa also joined the sit-in.
“Why the justice has not been delivered. It is absolutely right as you (protesters) have said. Those people who were incarcerated in these cases are now out on bail. Some of them even didn’t go to the jail and got bails. The justice is being delayed and I seek pardon for it. Still, I am firm on my words... guilty will be punished,” the minister said.
“Suspended inspector general of police Paramraj Singh Umranangal and former SSP Charanjit Sharma were sent to jail. They were trying to come out of the jail, but we booked them under the anti-national law to prevent their bails. But the court ordered their bail. We have to follow the law. But justice should be delivered. I am not saying that we are not guilty in it. We are also becoming the equal partners (in it) as Badals were,” said the minister.
“We had taken a pledge in Bathinda and Talwandi Sabo that the culprits (of sacrilege) will be brought to the book. We know who the culprits are. We also know who did this? But they are still roaming free which is shameful,” said Randhawa.
“As we had promised, we should have sent the culprits to the jail on the day our government took over. If we don’t fulfil our promise (of punishing the guilty), the Guru will not forgive us,” he said.
Earlier, the protestors asked Randhawa to leave his village or leave the government. To this, Randhawa said: “I will not leave my village even if have to quit the government.”
The minister also said he will bring the protesters’ demands to the notice of the CM.