CHANDIGARH: Day after Justice (Retd) Ranjit Singh Commission report was released the opposition Shiromani Akali Dal boycotted the proceedings of the Punjab assembly today. They held a mock session outside the house.
As the debate Justice (Retd) Ranjit Singh Commission report started in the house, the Akali Dal legislators boycotted the house and held a mock session outside the house in protest trying to garner support.
The SAD MLAs were unhappy over the time of 14 minutes allotted to the party to speak on the issue in the house thus the Akali legislators created ruckus and raised slogans also did not relent even after the speaker assured them that sufficient time would be given to everyone to participate in the discussion. Then they staged a walk out and the debate resumed after a small adjournment. Akali Dal MLA leader and former minister Bikram Singh Majithia said that the allocation of 14 minutes to his party was inadequate.
As the debate began Congress MLA Harminder Singh Gill was the first to speak, while comparing the sacrilege incidents in Punjab to the stealing of hair from the Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar, Gill talked about how Badals had a hand in granting of pardon to Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim from akal takh and the involvement of Dera Sacha Sauda followers in sacrilege cases. He also spoke of the then chief minister Parkash Singh Badal’s involvement in the use of police force on protesters at Kotkapura.
Gill demanded serious punishment should be given to the guilty, including Badal and also demanded that a case be registered against Sukhbir Singh Badal for defaming people and further said that strict action be taken against the then DGP Sumedh Singh Saini and other police officers.
Then cabinet minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa while also demanding life imprisonment for Badals alleged that Akalis had links with Dera Sacha Sauda and also said that there was clear involvement of Badals in sacrilege and it has been proved.
Both Gill and Randhawa demanded that title ‘Faqr-e-Quom’ be taken from Parkash Singh Badal.
Congress MLA Navtej Singh Cheema demanded action against the Akalis for running parallel session without permission and showing it live on PTC.
Addressing a press conference outside the assembly, senior dissident AAP leader and MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira accused Sukhbir Singh Badal of concocting the call detail records of politicians to get the attention off the report.
Khaira alleged that the akalis would meet the same fate as Manjit Singh GK met in the US two days back.
Meanwhile Punjab assembly today unanimously passed two bills the Indian Penal Code (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2017 and The Code of Criminal Procedure (Punjab Amendment) Bill that seeks life imprisonment to those who commit sacrilege.
These bills were originally introduced in the assembly in March 2016 but were withdrawn by the government after the President refused to grant assent.
Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh said that the union government had said that it was not possible to consider one religion separately and give separate punishment. As the centre had sought legal opinion and it was said that being a secular country it was not possible to give special punishment for desecration of the holy book of one religion.
Akali Dal MLA and former minister Bikram Singh Majithia said that his party supported the bill, but added that the desecration of Guru Granth Sahib should be treated separately as Guru Granth Sahib has been accepted as a living guru.
Another Akali Dal MLA Gurpratap Singh Wadala said that one should not politicise the issue of religion. "We are again trying to politicise religion, which could have adverse repercussions for Punjab. The Akali Dal was supporting the Bill,’’ he said.