Amid tight security arrangement by Punjab police, Sikh preachers, Aam Aadmi Party leaders and AAP rebels staged a protest in Kotkapura on Sunday to observe the third death anniversary of Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan firing victims. The families of victims also attended the event and demanded justice at the earliest.

A few hundred people attended the event on Sunday while police blocked entry points to Kotkapura due to security reasons. More than 300 cops were deployed for the same.

Security arrangements put in place by the Punjab police to avoid any untoward incident in Kotkapura on Sunday. (HT Photo)

The speakers not only blamed former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal for firing and sacrilege incidents but also accused the Congress government for delaying justice.

Sikh preacher Harjinder Singh Majhi, who also lead the protest in October 2015, former Talwandi Sabo jathedar Balwant Singh Nandgarh, AAP MLA Kultar Singh Sandhwan (Kotkapura), Aman Arora (Sunam), AAP rebels MLA Pirmal Singh Dhaula (Bhadaur), Baldev Singh (Jaitu) and Jagdev Singh Kamalu (Maur) were also present during the protest.

AAP MLA Aman Arora said the subsequent Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal failed to deliver justice in killings by Punjab police despite being two judicial commission reports. He compared the Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan firing with Amritsar’s Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919.

Harjinder Singh Manjhi along with leaders present in protest read an open letter in which he accused Parkash Singh Badal of misusing Sikh institutions to nurture his political career. In the letter, Manjhi held Badal responsible for Operation Bluestar and “black days” in Punjab.

“The government has to deliver justice otherwise it will face the same fate as Akalis. It has been dragging its feet to take action against accused police officers and Badals who were indicted in commission report,” said MLA Kultar Singh Sandhwan.

Parallel jathedar of Akal Takht Dhian Singh Mand is sitting on the Bargari ‘morcha’ since June 1, 2018, at Bargari, demanding arrest of the accused in Bargari sacrilege and Behbal Kalan firing. Parallel jathedars also gave call to observe the anniversary at Bargari.

On October 14, 2015, Punjab police opened fire on Sikh protestors in Kotkapura protesting against the then Shiromani Akali Dal government over the desecration of a ‘bir’ of Guru Granth Sahib. Later, two Sikh protestors Krishan Bhagwan Singh and Gurjit Singh were killed in police firing at Behbal Kalan village of Faridkot.

First Published: Oct 14, 2018 10:32 IST