JALANDHAR: Going by social media trends, Congress is facing questions over sacrilege and firing cases after Punjab and Haryana High Court cancelled the special investigation report on Kotkapura firing. While Congress supporters are silent, those of Shiromani Akali Dal are rejoicing.
Bargari sacrilege, Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura firing cases were the main issues in the 2017 assembly elections, besides issues like drugs and illegal sand mining. These played a major role in Congress victory after a gap of 10 years and SAD being relegated to third place.
Notwithstanding the announcement by Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh to challenge the HC order in the Apex court, sources in the Congress said there is considerable concern in party circles and MLAs are worried about the likely reaction they would face at ground level. “In the beginning of our tenure, we could claim that investigation was on and people should wait but now, with less than one year to elections, we are set to face questions. Among MLAs or even in cadres, there are apprehensions about the issue,” said a Congress MLA.
Another Congress MLA said, “We have landed in an embarrassing situation on this issue, that too when we are already facing questions about performance on other issues.”
The apprehensions of Congress MLAs and other leaders don’t appear to be misplaced, suggest reactions on social media. Sikh netizens have expressed disappointment as well as anger at the latest development. Most are blaming the Congress and several are questioning the sincerity of the state government.
Captain Amarinder Singh’s announcement about challenging the HC order on his official FB page received criticism from netizens, who questioned the intentions of his government.
“The question remains, who ordered police firing on Sikhs in Kotkapura sitting peacefully to protest beadbi of Guru Granth Sahib in 2015, Bargari. High Court decision to constitute a new SIT, keeping Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh out, is likely to drag the investigation indefinitely. Efforts of a non-Sikh Bihari IPS officer to uncover the truth stand wasted, but I appreciate them,” posted former SGPC general secretary Kiranjot Kaur on her FB wall. Her post was widely shared.
Punjab and Haryana High Court advocate H C Arora, known for his important PILs, termed the developments as a “cause of worry” on his FB post.
However, questions for Congress do not translate into positive feedback for Shiromani Akali Dal. SAD members posting about it also faced questions from netizens.