Punjab sacrilege incidents: Navjot Sidhu attacks previous Badal government

CHANDIGARH: Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu on Monday raised the issue of the 2015 sacrilege incidents, but this time he chose to attack the previous SAD-BJP dispensation for not holding a proper probe into the matter, instead of his own government in Punjab.

This comes days after Chief Minister Amarinder Singh met Congress president Sonia Gandhi at her residence in Delhi, amid efforts by the party leadership to end factionalism in its unit in the poll-bound state.

Sidhu had been openly attacking Singh, alleging delay in the delivery of justice in a case related to desecration of a religious text and the subsequent police firing incidents at Faridkot in 2015.

He has been critical of the chief minister after the Punjab and Haryana High Court in April quashed a probe into the 2015 firing case In a series of tweets on Monday, Sidhu said, "Pertinent questions of People of Punjab on Beadbi issue to Badals :- 1. Why no proper inquiry by Badal government into theft of "Bir of Guru Granth Sahib Ji" at Village Burj Jawahar Singh Wala on June 1, 2015, which led to sacrilege, followed by protests and firing in October 2015."

He also asked, "What were the actions taken against officers who falsely implicated two brothers, Rupinder Singh and Jaswinder Singh for sacrilege?". 

Why had the erstwhile Parkash Singh Badal government not taken action in the sacrilege matter, the Congress leader asked.

"Why no action taken by Badal government during two years in sacrilege cases before 2017 elections, despite Justice (Retd.) Zora Singh Commission inquiry report and SIT (Special Investigation Team) led by Ranbir Singh Khatra pointing needle of suspicion to Dera Sacha Sauda men?" he said.

Sidhu also tweeted, "Have asked every relevant question on Beadbi issue to everyone who should be held accountable over the past few months and in the last six years. What is the point in repeating but questions must be asked to the real culprits, the Badals. Repeating but questions must be asked to the real culprits, the Badals".