Chandigarh, July 30, 2024 (Yes Punjab News)
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today said the allegations of the prime accused in the sacrilege case of Sri Guru Granth Sahib were part of a calculated move by central agencies and anti-Punjab forces including the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to marginalize the SAD.
In a press conference here, senior SAD leaders said Pradeep Kler, who was making wild allegations against party president Sukhbir Singh Badal, had turned approver in the sacrilege case. “Kler has not mentioned the allegations he has made against the SAD in the statement recorded under Section 164 in the sacrilege case.
He must tell why he did not come forward to level these allegations till now even though he had the opportunity to present himself before the Justice (retd) Ranjit Singh Commission in 2007 itself”.
Asserting that the centre and AAP government in Punjab were hand in glove with Kler, senior leaders Balwinder Singh Bhundur, Maheshinder Singh Grewal and Arshdeep Singh Kler said “this is proved from the fact that no attempt was made to arrest Kler even though he was living in his own house even after being declared a proclaimed offender”.
They said Kler was finally arrested after his pictures with BJP leaders in Ayodhya appeared in the public realm.
“Despite being a proclaimed offender for five years Kler was able to secure bail in a few months indicating he was being used to hit out at the SAD”, the leaders said adding “Kler was not asked about his role in the heinous cases of sacrilege. He should have been asked how he robbed the ‘swaroop’ of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, where he kept the same and how he disposed of it”.
Mr Maheshinder Grewal also questioned the AAP government as to why it had not given permission to prosecute Dera Sirsa chief Ram Raheem under Section 495-A despite a written request from the Faridkot police chief.
“This shows that the AAP government is also in league with the centre in going soft on Ram Raheem in view of the forthcoming assembly elections in Haryana”. He said the manner in which a political agenda was being given a religious turn was condemnable and not good for lasting peace in the State.
The leaders also asserted that Kler’s claim that Dera Sirsa had supported the SAD in 2012, 2017 and 2019 also could not be taken at face value. “If this was so, why has the Dera kept quiet on this issue till now?
It seems the rebel Akalis felt that their attempts to corner SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal had failed and due to this another ‘artist’ was prepared to reopen the debate on the sacrilege issue”. EOM
