The accused being taken to court in Patiala on Monday. (Express Photo: Harmeet Sodhi)

At least five Cabinet ministers Monday demanded registration of a case against Simarjeet Singh Bains, a day after the Lok Insaf Party MLA termed the attack on a police team by Nihangs in Patiala as “revenge” for the “atrocities inflicted by the Punjab Police on common people”.

The Nihangs, who attacked the police team with sharp edged weapons, chopped off the hand of Assistant Sub-Inspector Harjeet Singh and injured three other personnel after they were asked to show curfew passes at a vegetable market in Patiala.

Even as Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh condemned the attack and promised strong action, Bains struck a discordant note, saying the attack was result of ‘atrocities’ that Punjab police has inflicted on common people.

In an interview to a Punjabi Lok Channel, Bains said, “Resentment haigi hai.. jehda logan de andar Punjab Police prati gussa, pichle samay ch police ne baale lok kutte ne, daangan de naal kutte, galiyaan vich ghasit ghasit ke kutte, so eh gusse di bhavna haigi hai, agle da badla keh sakde hain, Nihang Singh ne kirpan kyu chakki, ajj behas iss issue tey hon di zarurat hai; ohna nu kyu zarurat payi kirpaan chakkan di, so Punjab Police apne girybaan ch jhaake. (There is resentment. There is anger brewing against Punjab Police. In recent times, police has thrashed many people. They were dragged in streets and beaten. So this incident can be termed as a revenge against Punjab Police. Why Nihangs were forced to use the sword? This is what we need to discuss. So Punjab Police should introspect)

He further added, “Kanoon de daayre vich reh ke apni duty kare, apni duty kare assi head salute karange… par jehda police adhikaari gair zimmevari naal kanoon chikkey tang ke duty karda, kuttda lokaan nu betahaasha, zulm dhaanda oh maadi gall hai, so eh Nihang Singh hai jehda kirpaan de naal vaar hamla eh main samajhda haan ki lokan tey jehda tashaddat dhaaya Punjab Police ne ohde nateejey vajon. Punjab Police nu aapan jaande hain, jhoote muqablein karan vich badi tej hai.. lokan nu kuttan, thaggan de vich.. eh saari mahaantan Punjab Police vich haigiyaan ..kirpaan de naal nihang valon kitta gaya hamla, eh lokaan de uttey dhaye gaye gair kanoonan tashaddat de rosh vajjon hoya hai.’ (Punjab Police should stay within its limits and law and perform its duty. Then we will also salute them. But those officers who behave irresponsibly without following the law, inflict atrocities on people, that is bad. So this attack by Nihangs, I believe, is the result of atrocities that Punjab Police has inflicted on its people. We all know Punjab police, it is all very good in doing fake encounters, in thrashing and looting people, all these qualities are there in Punjab Police. The attack is result of anger brewing against police for the illegal atrocities it has inflicted on people.)”

Terming Bains’ remarks as “vile” and “provocative” ministers Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Balbir Singh Sidhu, Aruna Choudhary and Vijay Inder Singla and Tripat Bajwa asked him to give up the police security if he did not trust the force.

They also demanded that Bains be immediately booked under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, the National Disaster Management Act, 2005 as well as under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.

They also demanded an unequivocal apology from Bains for “politicising the issue for cheap publicity” at a time when the entire police force was “putting their own lives at stake” and working round the clock for providing relief to the needy.

“The Punjab Police is doing a commendable job in these critical times. By casting aspersions on our police force, Bains has rubbed salt into the wounds of the bravehearts,” Sidhu said.

Randhawa said this was a time to support the frontline warriors who are fighting to save lives by endangering their own.

“This is gross disrespect to the great sacrifices being made by our policemen,” added Singla.

Choudhary said that “by giving such statements Bains is encouraging anti-social elements to attack police”.

Such derogatory statements against the force, which is going beyond the call of duty in service of people, are unpardonable said Bajwa.