Chandigarh, June 1, 2019 (Yes Punjab News)
Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Punjab Assembly, Harpal Singh Cheema on Saturday slammed the Amrinder Singh government for posing hurdles in the process of free and fair investigations into the 2015 incident of desecration of Sri Guru Granth Sahib by the Special Investigation Team (SIT)
Cheema said in a statement issued from party headquarters in Chandigarh here Saturday that the transfer of IG Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh by arm-twisting the Election Commission of India (ECI) was a well thought-out ploy of Captain Amarinder to offer a protective cover to the accused, adding that the ‘objections’ raised by the other members against IG Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh at a time when ‘challan’ was filed against the accused.
Stating it was a mere design to derail the process of justice delivery and protect the high-profile accused, including then Home Minister and Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab, Sukhbir Singh Badal, and DGP, Sumedh Singh Saini and others.
The AAP leader said that ever since the investigation into the case kicked off, there had been political pulls and pressures to sabotage the investigations, saying if the others members had issues with Kunwar Vijay, why didn’t they speak up during the course of investigations? Why did they raise their ‘objections’ on his being overbearing only after the filling of the ‘challan’ against the accused, Sukhbir Badal, DGP Sumedh Singh Saini and on May 26.
Cheema said that the way the investigations into the sensitive incidents of desecration of Guru Granth Sahib and firing were moving clearly indicated that neither the Captain Amrinder Singh government nor the Modi government at the centre were in favour of bringing those behind these acts to justice.
Cheema accused those at the helm in state and at the centre of unduly delaying the process of justice dispensation citing the Lok Sabha elections. He said that the ECI, which, he said acted as a pawn in the hands of the high and mighty by transferring Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh even as the model code of conduct was in force.
However, in view of the widespread resentment from all quarters against the transfer, Kunwar Vijay was reinstate, only to face ‘revolt’ in the SIT apparently under the political and administrative pressures, with other SIT members lodging a complaint against him with the DGP.
Cheema further added that during the previous Captain Amrinder Singh Government regime (2002 to 2007), a case of whopping amount involving Rs 35,000 crore beyond known source of income against the Badals from unknown sources of income was shelved by resorting to such cheap gimmicks. He said a similar situation was being created give clean ‘chit’ to those behind the acts of sacrilege under investigation.
He demanded that the investigation should continue unhindered and be not sabotaged under duress to ensure the arrest of Sukhbir Badal, Sumedh Singh Saini and others involved into the incidents.
