Punjab Sacrilege Incidents: Cannot Bluntly Condemn

New Delhi:

The mob killing of two males accused of desecrating Sikh non secular sentiments in Punjab’s Amritsar and Kapurthala weren’t “easy incidents” and “not a matter of mere condemnation”, Harjinder Singh Dhami, the top of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, advised NDTV Monday night.

Mr Dhami refused to denounce the brutal killing of the 2 accused – the person who died in Kapurthala had not less than eight “deep, sharp cuts” on his neck and physique, doable inflicted by swords, a senior medical officer advised information company PTI – and stated he couldn’t “bluntly condemn the incident”.

“It isn’t a easy incident. It’s associated to the Guru Granth Sahib and never simply any social offense. We can’t bluntly condemn the incident (the loss of life of the 2 accused) as a result of it entails the feelings and religion of the Sikh folks…” he advised NDTV.

.@OnReality_Check | “We can’t bluntly condemn that incident (Punjab killings) as a result of it entails the feelings and religion of the Sikh folks,” says Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) President Harjinder Singh Dhami, on #Punjab killings. #NDTVExclusivepic.twitter.com/dbutSOm2Dc

— NDTV (@ndtv) December 20, 2021

“This wasn’t the primary sacrilege incident,” Mr Dhami stated, including, “In all of the incidents of ‘beadbi‘, or sacrilege, until date, not one of the accused have been convicted… It isn’t a easy incident.”

.@OnReality_Check | “In all of the incidents of ‘beadbi’ until date, not one of the accused have been convicted… It isn’t a easy incident,” says Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) President Harjinder Singh Dhami, on #Punjab killings. #NDTVExclusivepic.twitter.com/bWiN4KOC83

— NDTV (@ndtv) December 20, 2021

The reference was to the 2015 sacrilege and police firing case, which stays a massively controversial matter in Punjab and one the Congress’ Navjot Sidhu has ceaselessly used to hammer each his personal occasion in addition to the opposition Shiromani Akali Dal and BJP, which had been in energy on the time.

Mr Dhami additionally appeared to assert the mob killings had been in ‘self-defense’; “The rule of protection states that if somebody tries to assault… you possibly can counter-attack as properly,” he stated.

He did, nevertheless, additionally say: “The matter needs to be first enquired… then motion needs to be taken.”

Aside from the SGPC, politicians in Punjab – from the ruling Congress to opposition events just like the AAP and BJP – have additionally been reluctant to sentence the deaths, conscious of a probably disastrous backlash from Sikh voters in Meeting elections due in February-March.

Sidhu demanded that these accused of sacrilege be publicly hanged; it’s unclear if he was referring to folks merely accused of such a criminal offense or these discovered responsible after being tried in a courtroom of legislation.

This week two males, who stay unidentified to this point, had been killed by mobs at Amritsar’s Golden Temple and in Kapurthala after allegedly desecrating Sikh non secular sentiments.

The primary killing was on the Golden Temple – a person in his early 20s jumped into the enclosure the place the Granth Sahib is saved. He was seen choosing up a golden sword as clergymen rushed to overpower him.

He was overwhelmed to loss of life.

Lower than 24 hours later, in Kapurthala, a person was brutally assaulted after villagers claimed to have caught him making an attempt to take away the Nishan Sahib (the Sikh flag); he was initially taken into police custody however savage scenes ensued after the mob fought with the cops and attacked the person with sticks.

The police later took him to a hospital the place he was declared lifeless.

In keeping with police, the incident seemed to be a case of theft, not sacrilege. “There aren’t any seen indicators of a sacrilege try,” Kapurthala police chief GS Dhillon stated at present.

Just one FIR has been filed to this point – regarding the alleged sacrilege. Police stated one other had been filed towards the attackers, however shortly reversed their assertion, saying they wanted extra data.

The alleged desecration and deaths come as Punjab preps to vote in an election poised on a knife’s edge, with the ruling Congress battling to retain management within the face of defections, the prospect of an Amarinder Singh-BJP alliance, and fixed barbed assaults from inside – from Navjot Sidhu.