CHANDIGARH:  A day after Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh hinted that the probe in the Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura firing case could go right up to the top, his predecessor Parkash Singh Badal went on the offensive. Badal asked Amarinder to halt the drama being enacted in the name of a probe into these incidents and said that he was ready to face arrest by the Special Investigation Team (SIT). “Tell me where should I come and offer myself for arrest, since this is the sole aim of the on-going political witch-hunt,” the former CM said. 

Badal said that he did not want anyone else to suffer or be harassed in this on-going vendetta politics. “I urge the Chief Minister to halt this tamasha and stop harassing and humiliating others. I am ready to offer myself for arrest any day, anytime and anywhere.” He alleged that Amarinder had earlier also booked them in false cases. “Even my wife was put behind bars. So, I am sure they are arresting us again,” he said. 

Badal said, “Even before any inquiry was instituted or started into these incidents, Amarinder, his cabinet colleagues, Punjab Congress President Sunil Jakhar had been pronouncing me guilty. Everyone knows how fair a probe can be after that.’’ 

Badal who was on leave from Vidhan Sabha session after informing the speaker of his indisposition, rushed back from his village to Chandigarh when he learnt that the State Counsel had named him and that the CM had reiterated his veiled threat against him.On arrival in Chandigarh, he rang up the state DGP Dinkar Gupta and told him that he was available in Chandigarh for arrest and could wait if they needed time. “Otherwise, I am available for arrest whenever, wherever you want me,” he told the DGP.

On February 18, the SIT probing the police firing at Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura on anti-sacrilege protesters, had arrested IG Paramraj Singh Umranangal on the basis of proof that he was in command and the procedure adopted to open fire was not correct.

Cong MLA’s threat
Congress MLA Amarinder Singh Raja Warring threatened to protest against the state government if it did not act against private transporters whose buses were involved in “frequent” accidents.  “Can’t we lodge a case against them? Will they continue to crush people?” asked Warring.