Dera pardon led to sacrilege, police firing, Ajnala Jr tells SIT
AMRITSAR: Former Akali Dal MLA Amarpal Singh ‘Bonny’ Ajnala on Tuesday handed over a memorandum to the Punjab Police’s special investigation team (SIT) saying it was the pardon by previous Akal Takht jathedar to the Dera Sacha Sauda head in a blasphemy case that led to sacrilege and police firing in 2015.
The SIT is probing the incidents of sacrilege and the subsequent police firing on Sikh protesters at Faridkot’s Behbal Kalan and Kotakpura in which two men were killed.
Bonny, who along with his supporters turned up at the office of inspector general of police (IGP) and SIT member Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh, said, “The role of former Akal Takht jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh should be investigated to find out which anti-Panthic powers were behind the pardon decision. The role of the jathedars of other Takhts should also be probed.”
On November 11, Bonny, a former MLA from the Ajnala constituency, his father and former MP Rattan Singh Ajnala along with Khadoor Sahib MP Ranjit Singh Brahmpura and his son Ravinder Singh Brahmpura, a former MLA, were expelled from the Akali Dal for six years for allegedly indulging in anti-party activities. Another rebel SAD veteran and former minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan was also removed from the party. The rebel leaders had accused SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal and former minister Bikram Singh Majithia of securing pardon for the dera chief.
Gurbachan Singh had resigned from his post on October 18 citing health issues. Many in the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and SAD felt the then jathedar and the Badals were responsible for the pardon which was revoked later..