The Opposition parties in the state today condemned the police firing on protesting Sikh activists at Behbal village in Moga that killed two persons and injured a number of others. The parties demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and imposition of the President’s rule in the state.
Punjab Congress president Partap Bajwa alleged the SAD-BJP government had started letting loose reign of terror against people after having failed on all fronts. “Unprovoked firing on peaceful gathering is the latest example,” he said.
Congress Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha Capt Amarinder Singh said: “Badal has lost control over the state which is drifting towards anarchy. He should better quit. Trying to assert authority by the use of brute force and killing unarmed protesters is not going to restore the government’s image that has been eroded beyond any hope of redemption.”
Holding Badal responsible for the current situation, he said: “Badal always fails to rise to the occasion and lets down people of Punjab. He has failed them again.”
People’s Party of Punjab chief Manpreet Singh Badal today condemned the killing of two persons in police firing and the “reign of terror” unleashed by the police on protesters at various places in Faridkot and Moga districts. He demanded a judicial probe into the police action.
“It is shocking that the police pounced upon people staging peaceful protest at Kotkapura against the act of sacrilege. Punjab has turned into a police state,” he said in a statement released here.
The CPI condemned the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib and appealed to the people to maintain peace and communal harmony. In a joint statement, Dr Joginder Dayal and Hardev Arshi, both members of the national executive of the party, said for its vested political interests, the SAD-BJP government kept the issue hanging and did not arrest the culprits. The leaders said the government wanted create communal tension in the state. They appreciated the writers who returned their awards to protest the bid to curb freedom of expression.
BJP national secretary Tarun Chugh condemned the incident of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib that led to law and order problem in Moga. He said: "It is an attempt to vitiate the peaceful atmosphere of Punjab and also to derail the process of development initiated in the state." He alleged some foreign agencies were trying to disturb the hard-earned peace in the state by indulging in such divisive and mischievous acts.
Amritsar:Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh said the killing of protesters in Kotkapura was an administrative lapse which aggravated the already tense situation. He demanded a thorough inquiry into the incident. He also appealed to the masses to remain calm. The Jathedar demanded the arrest of culprits who were responsible for the sacrilege of ‘bir’.
“The use of tear gas, water cannons, lathis and firing on Sikh activists by the police has hurt the sentiments of the community all over. The police have even rounded up innocent Sikhs. It calls for serious attention of the government,” he said.
Security up outside Badals' residence
Muktsar: The Muktsar police have beefed up security outside the ruling Badals' mansion at Badal village. Though none from the ruling family was present at the residence, a police party was deployed there to keep an eye over the visitors and passersby. Sources said the intelligence had inputs that some protesting Sikh activists might gherao the CM residence, which prompted the zonal police authorities to take preventive measures. Meanwhile, some agitating Sikhs blocked the Kheowali-Badal road, which also leads to Badals' residence. The blockade started about 2 pm. It was on till the filing of the report. In another incident, the police cane-charged some protesting activists, who had assembled at a local gurdwara. — TNS
'Akalis pushing Punjab back to black days'
Moga: President of the All India Sikh Students' Federation (AISSF) Karnail Singh Peermohammad warned the SAD-BJP leadership not to play politics in religious matters and stop using police force on innocent Sikhs. He alleged the Akalis were trying to divert attention of the people from other important issues. He said the pesticide scam and pardon granted to Dera Sacha Sauda chief had damaged the image of the government. "The Akali leadership is trying to create 1976-like situation, which led to militancy in Punjab," he alleged. — TNS
Protests in Phagwara, Tarn Taran
Phagwara/Tarn Taran: Activists of various Sikh organisations, including Akal Students Federation and Sukhmani Sewa Society, took out a protest march on Wednesday the police action in Moga and Faridkot. The protesters assembled at Gurdwara Nimmawala and began a march through different bazaars and roads in the town. They disrupted traffic on the national highway for about half an hour. The protesters submitted a memorandum to local SDM. In Tarn Taran, activists of Sikh radical organisations staged a dharna at Harike, 35 km from here. The protest led to huge traffic jam in the area. Sikh leaders condemned the government for failing to tackle the sacrilege issue. — OC
Unrest among all sections: Bajwa
"The SAD-BJP government has let loose a reign of terror in the state after having failed on all fronts. Unprovoked firing on peaceful gathering is the latest example. There is unrest among all sections of society in the state." — Partap Singh Bajwa, PPCC president
Heading towards anarchy: Manpreet
"It is shocking that the police pounced upon people staging peaceful protest at Kotkapura against an act of sacrilege. Punjab has turned into a police state. It was a sensitive matter and the police failed to take timely action."— Manpreet Singh Badal, PPP president
State BJP chief calls for peace
}Punjab is a sensitive state. Its people have earned peace by making huge sacrifices, but today certain anti-national forces are determined to disturb its peace. But the people are intelligent enough to understand their nefarious designs.— Kamal Sharma, state BJP president
Attempt to divert attention: Sarna
"It was a deliberate attempt of the government to divert the peoples' attention from the issue
of pardon to Dera Sacha Sauda head. The Centre must impose the President’s rule in the state." —Paramjit Singh Sarna, SAD (delhi) chief
BJP’s Chugh sees foreign hand
"It is an attempt to vitiate the peaceful atmosphere of Punjab and derail the development process. some foreign agencies were trying to disturb the hard-earned peace in the state by indulging in such divisive and mischievous acts."—Tarun Chugh, BJP national secretary
Call for Punjab bandh today
"The present government is responsible for the tension that cropped up in Kotkapura. We have given a bandh call for Thursday. We have also called a meeting to gauge the situation and decide the next course of action."—Baba Harnam Singh Khalsa, Damdami Taksal chief
Dera chief flays sacrilege of 'bir'
Sirsa, October 14
Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh has condemned the incident of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib at Kotkapura town. The Dera chief, who is at present abroad for the promotion of his movie, criticised the incident on Twitter. The perpetrators of such a heinous crime deserved the strongest possible punishment, he tweeted in Gurmukhi. — TNS
ADGP accuses Sikh leaders of inciting mob
Tribune News Service
Kotkapura, October 14
Rohit Chaudhary, ADGP, today accused 15 Sikh leaders, including former Takht Damdama Sahib jathedar Bhai Kewal Singh, of inciting religious sentiments of a large number of Sikh protesters and provoking them to attack police personnel in Kotkapura.
He alleged the protestors snatched policemen's rifles, attacked them, burned and damaged their vehicles and forcibly entered the police station and attacked policemen on duty.
He said the protesters reacted violently after they were provoked by some religious leaders with hate speeches against the police at a dharna in Kotkapura.
