Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh.
Paramjit Singh Sarna, the religious advisor to Punjab CM Amarinder Singh, has flayed the state government to hand over Behbal Kalan firing case to the CBI.
Talking to The Indian Express over phone on Wednesday, Sarna who is SAD (Delhi) president and former president of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee said the move of Punjab government to hand over the probe to CBI had “not gone down well with the Sikhs”.
Indicating at the involvement of senior officers of the police, Amarinder Singh had on Monday announced handing over the probe to CBI even as he had read out names of at least four policemen whose names were recommended by Justice Ranjit Singh (retd) Commission to be included in the FIR registered for Behbal Kalan incident in which two agitators died due to police firing.
“Why should CBI investigate the case? Have they (CBI officers) descended from the sky….I will definitely talk and tell Maharaja sahib that this would tarnish our image. We had been seeking more powers for the state and today we are not using our own power. Punjab Police is competent enough,” said Sarna.
He added, “Why would Centre let any harm come to its alliance partner (SAD).”
Sarna said while it was appreciable that CM enhanced the compensation to Behbal Kalan firing victims from what was recommended by the Commission, “it will not be okay until accused behind the execution and design of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib were identified”.
Sarna had earlier extended his support to “parallel jathedars” protesting at Bargari and had demanded that findings of the Commission into Behbal Kalan episode be revealed.
In Chandigarh, a number of Sikh intellectuals held a meeting and accused Amarinder Singh of “reneging on his public commitment of bringing the culprits of the Bargari sacrilege case to book within a few weeks of coming to power.”