AAP shielding dera head in sacrilege cases: SGPC chief
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh demanded that all these accused dera head, Honeypreet, and Kler should be arrested and prosecuted immediately.
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami on Wednesday raised questions over the role of chief minister Bhagwant Mann in the cases of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib at Bargari in 2015 and alleged that his government was protecting the accused persons.
Addressing the press at the SGPC office here, Dhami said, “While the Bhagwant Mann-led government of Punjab is protecting Pradeep Kler, one of the main accused persons in the sacrilege cases, it is also running away from prosecuting Dera Sirsa head Gurmeet Ram Rahim and his aide Honeypreet even after their names have come to light in Kler’s statement”.
He said that the SGPC will write a letter to the Punjab CM asking for an appointment in this serious matter and, if he does not respond positively the Sikh body will approach the Punjab governor, besides initiating necessary legal action.
“The Punjab government, despite Kler’s statements in the court, has not arrested Gurmeet Ram Rahim and Honeypreet. Moreover, prosecution sanction is not being given by the home department to prosecute Ram Rahim and others”, he said.
He said even Kler has been named in in three cases related to sacrilege but has been arrested in only one case. “His arrest is still pending in the other two cases even though he was declared a proclaimed offender by the court,’ he said adding, “It is clear from this that the Bhagwant Mann government is only playing politics on the issue of sacrilege and is bent on protecting the culprits and using them as tools,”
Dhami also showed copies of three FIRs and court orders against Kler. He demanded that all these accused dera head, Honeypreet, and Kler should be arrested and prosecuted immediately.
Dhami also strongly condemned the ‘irresponsible’ statements of former IG Ranbir Singh Khatra in sacrilege cases. Dhami’s statement comes days after Khatra, who led the special investigation team (SIT) probing the Bargari sacrilege, met Akal Takht jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh and levelled allegations against the Punjab government, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and SGPC.
“Former SIT head Khatra is defaming the Sikh organization by making false allegations. SGPC was never in favour of the closure report of the CBI and the federal agency’s report was rejected. SGPC also passed a resolution in the executive meeting on July 17, 2019, and legal proceedings were initiated,” Dhami said.
“The SGPC is fighting a legal battle in this regard even today. Along with this, the SGPC has also filed a petition in the high court to become a party against Gurmeet Ram Rahim, the next date of which is fixed on August 9. The SGPC is fighting a separate legal battle in the high court to stop the repeated paroles and furloughs awarded to Rahim by the government”, he said.