Chandigarh
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) urged Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit to recommend a CBI investigation into the recent armed attack on Gurdwara Akal Bunga Sahib in Sultanpur Lodhi. SAD President Sukhbir Badal, in a media briefing after meeting with the Governor, expressed concerns about the sacrilegious attack ordered by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on November 23. Badal emphasized that the assault on the peaceful sangat, reciting gurbani at 4 am, evoked memories of the 1984 attack on Sri Darbar Sahib in Amritsar, causing outrage among Sikhs worldwide.
According to Badal, the Chief Minister allegedly instructed the police to remove a faction of Nihang Singhs from Gurdwara Akal Bunga Sahib to favor his friend, the head of a rival faction. The Chief Minister purportedly issued this order in an inebriated state, leading the Kapurthala Police to enter the gurdwara premises early morning, heavily armed and engaging in indiscriminate firing. Evidence supporting these claims was submitted to the Governor. The SAD delegation also informed the Governor that the Chief Minister had compounded the issue by forming a Special Investigating Team (SIT) headed by the same police officer who executed the Chief Minister’s orders. Badal argued that only a CBI inquiry could unveil the entire conspiracy, potentially leading to the registration of murder and religious sentiments-hurting cases against the Chief Minister and responsible police officers.
