Sacrilege cases: Sidhu posts on Twitter 'video clips' of police action on protesters

The Amritsar MLA also shared purported contents of the report of the one-man commission that had probed incidents of the desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib.
Former Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu and Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh. (File | PTI)
Former Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu and Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh. (File | PTI)

CHANDIGARH: Congress MLA Navjot Singh Sidhu on Sunday shared on his Twitter handle purported video clips of police action on people protesting the desecration of a religious text in Punjab's Faridkot in 2015, a day after SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal dared the ruling party and AAP leaders to show evidence.

The Amritsar MLA also shared purported contents of the report of the one-man commission that had probed incidents of the desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib.

Meanwhile, AAP state unit chief Bhagwant Mann and Punjab Cabinet ministers Balbir Singh Sidhu and Sadhu Singh Dharmsot slammed the SAD chief over the issue, saying he was the state home minister when the incidents took place.

The SAD-BJP government was at the helm, with Parkash Singh Badal as the CM, when the incidents had taken place in 2015.

On Saturday, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, who was the deputy CM in the previous Punjab government, had asked the Congress and AAP leaders to produce the proof, if they have any, about the "planning and execution" of the sacrilege incidents.

Sidhu shared two video clips of an event from September 2018, in which he is seen sharing the CCTV footage and purported contents of the Justice Ranjit Singh Commission report.

"Enough cognizable evidence available against Badals, says Justice (Retd.) Ranjit Singh Inquiry Commission report. In Sept 2018, I shared in public domain, statements by doctors, Ex-DGP & civil administration that prove actions at Kotkapura Chowk were consentual with then CM," said Sidhu in a tweet.

"This CCTV footage was hidden from Justice (Retd.) Zora Singh Inquiry Commission during Badal regime. Later, dug up by Justice Ranjit Singh. I brought this footage to public domain, which shows role of police, acting on behest of the Badals. You are guilty but being protected," said Sidhu in another tweet.

Meanwhile, reacting to Sidhu's remarks, SAD chief's principal adviser Harcharan Bains said in a tweet, "For 4½ yrs, @sherryontop boasted he had SENSATIONAL EVIDENCE on sacrilege. Asked to share it wth Khalsa Panth, court & SIT, all he does scoot & hide behind a retired judge's politicised report,already exposed, rubbished & rejected by HC. Where's the much touted evidence."

The one-man commission was set up by the Congress-led government in 2017 to investigate incidents of the desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib and subsequent police firing cases at Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura of Faridkot.

Two people were killed in the police firing at Behbal Kalan.

Sidhu has been repeatedly attacking Chief Minister Amarinder Singh over the issue after the Punjab and Haryana High Court last month quashed a probe into the Kotkapura case and ordered a fresh SIT to reinvestigate it.

Meanwhile, Punjab Cabinet ministers Balbir Singh Sidhu and Sadhu Singh Dharmsot asked Sukhbir Badal to "peep into his conscience and see that not only his hands but soul was also drenched with blood of innocent people who were killed in Bargari incident".

In a statement, the ministers alleged , "Every Punjabi knows that you did this unpardonable act for vested political interests."

"No evidence or witness was required to prove your involvement in this entire sin," they said.

AAP leader Bhagwant Mann said people of Punjab know who was in the government in Punjab in 2015 when desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib took place.

In a statement, Mann asked when the "sangat" (community) was "peacefully" protesting at Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura against the sacrilege cases, on whose orders did the firing by police took place in which two people were killed and dozens were injured.

"Will Sukhbir Badal tell that he was not the then Deputy chief minister as well as the home minister? Won't the home minister own any responsibility for the firing by the unidentified police," asked Mann.

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