Amritsar :
Condemning the special investigation team’s (SIT) move to keep out the name of Dera Sirsa chief Gurmit Ram Rahim from the challan filed in the case of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib Ji at Bargari in 2015, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) officials have raised questions on the political intentions of the incumbent Congress government in Punjab.
SGPC office-bearers including senior vice-president (VP) Surjit Singh Bhitewad, junior VP Baba Buta Singh, general secretary Bhagwant Singh Sialka and chief secretary Harjinder Singh said that the new SIT of Punjab Government also wants to implement the agenda of Congress and it is taking forward the investigation keeping the forthcoming assembly elections in focus.
The SGPC leaders said that the omission of Dera Sirsa chief Gurmit Ram Rahim’s name from the challan filed under first information report (FIR) 128 is shocking as well as biased.
“Gurmit Ram Rahim’s name was included in the FIR on the basis of statements made by Dera supporters arrested in sacrilege cases, but now the SIT’s action to save him after presenting the challan before the court shows the government’s intention”, said the SGPC officials.
“Although the SIT chief has given his explanation after the matter came to light, it is a misleading statement for the Sikh Sangat (devotees). Why was the Dera chief kept out of challan in the first place?”, asked the SGPC officials.
SGPC officials advised the present Congress government of Punjab not to politicize the issue of sacrilege and said that it is a very serious matter for the Sikhs and it should not be politicized.
“It is a manifestation of bad intentions of the government to run the SIT according to its will”, said the SGPC officials.
SGPC president Bibi Jagir Kaur on Wednesday had also questioned the performance of the government-sponsored SIT to save the Dera chief.
Bibi Jagir Kaur had said, “The government should refrain from solving its political ambition and should not have any sympathy with Gurmit Ram Rahim.”
Apart from this Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib Giani Harpreet Singh had also asked the government not to engage in politics on the issue of sacrilege and to punish the culprits.