CHANDIGARH: The Punjab SIT probing the 2015 police firing involving a desecration case questioned SAD chief and former deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal on Tuesday for about three hours.
Two Sikh youths protesting sacrilege in Kotkapura’s Behbal Kalan town died when the police resorted to firing.
Sukhbir alleged that the AAP government is playing politics in the case for petty gains.
The SIT is focusing on whether Sukhbir or then CM Parkash Singh Badal gave the nod to the police to use force against a mob protesting a series of sacrilege incidents in the state.
Sukhbir reached the venue for questioning along with his lawyers and SAD leaders Daljit Singh Cheema and MLA Sukhwinder Sukhi.
Many party workers were also present outside the barricaded building.
This is the first time that he has been summoned for questioning in the case since AAP came to power early this year.
After his questioning, Sukhbir said the AAP government is not interested in punishing the culprits.
“Punjabis want all culprits caught and punished but the AAP is following in the footsteps of the previous Congress government and politicising the probe,” he said.
Badal reached the Punjab Police Officers' Institute here at around 11 AM for questioning.
Senior Akali leaders including Balwinder Singh Bhundar, Bikram Singh Majithia, Daljit Singh Cheema and MLA Sukhwinder Sukhi and a large number of party workers were present outside the premises, where police had put barricades.
The case relates to the theft of a 'bir' (copy) of the Guru Granth Sahib, putting up handwritten sacrilegious posters, and torn pages of the holy book being found scattered at Bargari in Faridkot.
These incidents had triggered protests, and two people - Gurjeet Singh and Krishan Bhagwan Singh - were killed in Behbal Kalan and a few injured at Kotkapura in Faridkot in alleged police firing.
Speaking to reporters later on Tuesday, Badal alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government was doing politics to divert people's attention from its "failures".
He alleged that the previous Congress government and now the AAP government did not have any intention to arrest the culprits of the sacrilege and police firing incidents.
"They just wanted to play politics over this issue," he stated.
Badal said that he told the SIT officers that he and other leaders of his party were ready to cooperate whenever and wherever they would be called.
"There should be no politics over this issue, the entire Punjab wants the culprits to be arrested. But instead of nabbing them, political games were being played," he alleged.
To a query, Badal said, "The government already knows the answers to the queries the SIT has asked me. The answers are with them. Despite this they are indulging in this exercise to defame the SAD and its leaders."
Former minister and Akali leader Bikram Majithia said that the SAD wants the truth to come out.
He asked whether the then home minister or the then chief minister was present on the spot when the Behbal Kalan firing incident took place in 2015.
"The answer is no. Then why do you call the then-home minister (for questioning). If you want to set this precedent, then tell me when Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will be called in the Sidhu Moosewala murder case," he further asked.
Majithia said not only was Moosewala's security pruned by the AAP government but the list of those whose security was cut down was also shared on the AAP's Twitter handle.
"If that is the set of rules to be followed, then Mann himself is responsible for the murder of Moosewala and for the Patiala clash incident (that took place in May). Then the government is responsible for the deaths which take place every day," said Majithia.
"Therefore, you (AAP government) should not play with the sentiments of people and they should work for justice in the matter," said Majithia.
Majithia also slammed former police officer and now AAP MLA Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, accusing him of playing politics when he was part of the SIT.
Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh took premature retirement in April last year after the Punjab and Haryana High Court quashed a report filed by the earlier Punjab Police SIT into the 2015 Kotkapura firing incident.
Singh was part of the SIT that probed the 2015 Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan police firing incidents.
Singh later joined the AAP and was elected an MLA from the Amritsar North seat.
(With PTI Inputs)