SIT should probe Sukhbir’s role in firing, sacrilege: Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar

Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar on Wednesday demanded that the special investigation team (SIT) to be constituted by the state government for probing the of sacrilege and police firing cases taken back from the CBI also probe the role of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief and then home minister Sukhbir Badal.

Addressing a press conference in Chandigarh, Jakhar said though the Justice Ranjit Singh (retd) commission report has not indicted Sukhbir, he was the “General Dyer of Behbal Kalan”.

Flanked by cabinet ministers Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and several MLAs, Jakhar said: “Sukhbir has still not realised what are the charges against him. We have prepared a chargesheet to brief him. Firstly, he stands charged for colluding with Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Dauda to foment communal strife in the state.”

Jakhar said Sukhbir also has to reply whether he as home minister ordered the DGP to fire at the peaceful protestors and if not, then how did then DGP Sumedh Singh Saini dare to defy his orders at Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan where two Sikhs were killed.

“He is also to be blamed for dereliction of duty in investigating sacrilege incidents and playing dubious role in handling them. Till date, he has not visited the firing victims or the two brothers, Jaswinder and Rupinder Singh, who were tortured by the police and then let off saying there was nothing against them,” Jakhar said.

He alleged that former CM Parkash Singh Badal was saving his son in the entire episode as is evident from Saini’s reply to the panel a day before his retirement. “Badal knows that both he and his son were directly involved in this atrocious and unpardonable act,” he further said.

Notably, the panel has not questioned the role Sukhbir Badal as home minister in the firing incidents.

First Published: Aug 30, 2018 09:46 IST