CHANDIGARH: Facing intense pressure from his own party chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi on Tuesday squarely blamed the Badals for the sacrilege incidents in Bargari and consequent police firing incidents in Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura.
At a public gathering in Kotkapura, he said the Badals were hand-in-glove with the perpetrators and vowed that the “real perpetrators of this unpardonable crime” would not be spared.
However, with the assembly elections round the corner, the Channi government is in a bind over the issue.
While Sidhu has been publicly questioning the inaction on the issues of sacrilege and firing as well as the STF report on drug menace, sources said three-four senior ministers in the Channi government and some senior Congress leaders are against any action on Dera Sacha Sauda on the issue of sacrilege fearing a defeat in their constituencies.
Dera followers congregated in thousands in Sangrur, Bathinda and Faridkot districts on Sunday to celebrate the birthday of former chief Shah Mastana and Punjab cabinet minister Vijay Inder Singla attended one of the functions.
Party leaders also seem to be pulling in opposite directions on punishing the big fish in the drugs case.