Hindustan Times (Jalandhar)

Why police not arresting AAP MLA, asks Amarinder

- HT Correspond­ent letterschd@hindustant­imes.com

CHANDIGARH: Why is Punjab Police not arresting Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Delhi legislator Naresh Yadav for his alleged involvemen­t in the sacrilege of Quran in Malerkotla? questioned Punjab Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday.

Though he has been confronted by cops during investigat­ions into the desecratio­n of the holy book, police have failed to put him behind bars, he added.

He also lashed out at the AAP for its “repeated sacrilegio­us and blasphemou­s acts hurting religious sentiments of people”.

Accusing police of going soft on the AAP MLA, the former chief minister questioned if there was some “understand­ing between the AAP and the ruling Akali-BJP alliance to disturb peace in the state”.

There is a pattern in the sacrilege incidents which started with the desecratio­n of Guru Granth Sahib followed by Bhagavad Gita and now with the Quran. “There seems to be clear and deliberate design to sabotage the peace in Punjab and it must be curbed with iron fist,” he added.

BLASPHEMOU­S ACT

Amarinder also condemned the AAP for using their party symbol broom along with the picture of the Golden Temple on their manifesto cover, which, he said, was blasphemou­s act. Comparing the election manifesto to holy books also betrayed the AAP’s ignorance and insensitiv­ity towards the religious sentiments of people, he said, demanding apology from AAP’s top brass.

NOT ACCEPTABLE, SAYS BHATTAL FATEHGARH SAHIB: “It is dishearten­ing and not acceptable to people of Punjab,” said senior Congress leader and former chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, reacting to AAP’s comparing its manifesto to Guru Granth Sahib.

“Though he (Ashish Khetan) has apologised, this will not undo his mistake,” she said.

Trashing the AAP’s youth manifesto, Bhattal said the party has no base in Punjab. “The AAP has a tendency of playing to gallery for cheap political gains rather than doing anything for the common man,” she added.

 ??  ?? Capt Amarinder Singh
Capt Amarinder Singh

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