Glorification row: I am receiving threat calls, says Bittu

Ludhiana: Days after criticising Akal Takht acting jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh for “glorifying” assassins of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, Congress MP Ravneet Singh Bittu on Friday alleged he and his supporters have been receiving threat calls.

While laying the blame on the acting jathedar, Beant Singh’s grandson, who represents Ludhiana in the Lok Sabha, said he will be writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, home minister Amit Shah and Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh about the threats.

Addressing a press conference last Saturday, Bittu had released a video purportedly recorded the previous day during the bhog ceremony of Pritam Kaur, mother of Paramjit Singh Bheora, one of the assassins, in which Giani Harpreet Singh could be seen calling them “brave men”.

“I will write to the PM that if something happens to me or my family, they should understand who is behind it,” said Bittu, while talking to HT over phone from Delhi. “After I objected to the video clip, I have been receiving threat calls that my family and I will meet the same fate as my grandfather Beant Singh, who was assassinated. All those who have been supporting me have also started receiving threat calls.”

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Remarks against jathedar inappropriate: Bajwa

Amritsar: Punjab cabinet minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa on Friday called remarks made by his party colleague and Congress MP Ravneet Singh Bittu against Akal Takht acting jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh “inappropriate” and said he would be talking to him in this regard.

The panchayats and rural development minister was in Amritsar to submit a memorandum to the acting jathedar on telecast rights of Gurbani from the Golden Temple.

“I can only urge Bittu not to drag Akal Takht Sahib into every matter. He should refrain from it,” said Bajwa, responding to a media query after his meeting with Giani Harpreet Singh.