On the eighth anniversary of the alleged Behbal Kalan police firing incident, the Leader of the Opposition (LoP), Partap Singh Bajwa in Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Friday rebuked the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab government for its failure to do justice to the slain Sikh youths and their families.
The Senior Congress Leader said that it was AAP’s main poll promise to provide justice to the victims of the alleged police firing incident in which two Sikhs were killed. Even after 18 months into the government, the AAP government has delivered only big speeches but no constructive work.
It is noteworthy that two Sikh protesters — Gurjeet Singh of Sarawan village and Krishan Bhagwan Singh of Niamiwala village in Faridkot district — were killed on October 14, 2015, when they were protesting against the sacrilege incident.
“Last year, on October 14, during the anniversary of this incident, Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker, Kultar Singh Sandhwan demanded 45 days time to provide justice. In the presence of the Sikh Sangat, he committed to resign and join a dharna (Sit-in) protest along with Behbal Kalan Insaaf Morcha if he failed to fulfil his promise in a stipulated time frame”, Bajwa added.
Bajwa dared the Vidhan Sabha speaker to explain what prompted him to renege from his promise. “Neither did he join the dharna nor did he do justice so far”, Bajwa added.
Bajwa said that getting fed up with the repeated hollow promises being made by the AAP government, the Behbal Kalan Insaaf Morcha activists were planning to undertake fast-unto-death now.
The opposition leader said that former IPS officer and AAP MLA from Amritsar North has time and again condemned its own government for its failure to do justice on the issues. However, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who also holds the home portfolio didn’t seem to be serious about the same.
“The height of the AAP’s hypocrisy can be gauged from the fact the AAP-appointed new Advicte General, Gurminder Singh, as a lawyer has represented a senior suspended cop in the 2015 Behbal Kalan police firing case-related petition. This is like rubbing salt in the wounds of the Sikh community”, Bajwa added.
