Behbal Kalan firing anniversary: Protesters accuse Cong govt of being hand in glove with Badals

In response to a call made by families of the victims of Behbal Kalan police firing, a ‘shaheedi samagam’ was held at Bargari on Monday to mark the fourth anniversary of the incident, wherein two people were killed on October 14, 2015 during protests against the sacrilege incidents.

Sikh hardliners, including Jathedar Baljit Singh Daduwal, and Punjab Ekta Party president Sukhpal Singh Khaira, were among those who participated in the event. They blamed the Congress government for denial of justice in sacrilege and police firing incidents.

However, the differences within the Bargari Insaaf Morcha leaders continued as Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) president Simranjit Singh Mann and parallel Akal Takht jathedar Dhian Singh Mand, the leader the Morcha, held a separate event at Tibbi Sahib Gurdwara at Behbal Kalan village. They also performed ‘ardas’ at the spot where the police firing incident took place.

The families of the firing victims — Krishan Bhagwan Singh and Gurjit Singh — were at the forefront at the Bargari event.

Speaking on the occasion, Daduwal said, “After the sacrilege and police firing incidents in 2015, when Captain Amarinder Singh visited Bargari, he promised to punish the guilty within weeks if the Congress is elected to power.

He had then stated that the trail leads to Badals. Now he is in power but why the trail is not now leading to Badals? I want to tell Captain that if justice is not delivered in these cases, Sikh community will not forgive him. He must remember what happened to Badals as they did not deliver justice.”

Khaira said, “In the run-up to the 2017 assembly elections, Amarinder had promised to give justice to the victims, but unfortunately, no concrete action has been taken against the guilty police officers.”

Rather, Amarinder has started shielding and protecting the guilty, he alleged.

At Behbal Kalan, Mand said, “The justice has not been delivered in sacrilege and police firing incidents. The people who are responsible for sacrilege and those who were entrusted to provide justice are hand in glove. The entire Sikh community must come together to fight against them”.

Mann said, “The Congress government has turned back from its promise to punish the people responsible for sacrilege and police firing. We will continue to fight till the justice is delivered.”

Dal Khalsa president Harpal Singh Cheema alleged, “Justice has not been delivered as both the Badal and Amarinder governments have shielded the guilty top cops, including (former DGP) Sumedh Saini.”

AAP rebels MLAs and PEP leaders Baldev Singh (Jaitu) and Jagdev Singh Kamalu (Maur), Paramjit Kaur Khalra and BSP state president Jasbir Singh Garhi were also present at Bargari event.