Behbal Kalan firing: After CM’s appeal, protesters open one side of Amritsar-Bathinda NH - Hindustan Times
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Behbal Kalan firing: After CM’s appeal, protesters open one side of Amritsar-Bathinda NH

Feb 10, 2023 10:11 PM IST

After Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann’s appeal to protesters to lift the blockade, families of the 2015 Behbal Kalan firing victims and Sikh organisations on Friday opened one side of the Amritsar-Bathinda national highway (NH-54).

Faridkot

The protesters, including family members of the victims and Sikh organisations, had completely blocked the NH-54 since February 5. (HT Photo)
The protesters, including family members of the victims and Sikh organisations, had completely blocked the NH-54 since February 5. (HT Photo)

After Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann’s appeal to protesters to lift the blockade, families of the 2015 Behbal Kalan firing victims and Sikh organisations on Friday opened one side of the Amritsar-Bathinda national highway (NH-54), setting February 28 as deadline for the government to complete the probe.

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The protesters, including family members of the victims and Sikh organisations, had completely blocked the NH-54 since February 5 in protest against the slow pace of investigation and delay in court proceedings in the 2015 sacrilege and police firing cases.

The protesters accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of not fulfilling its promise to bring the perpetrators of the police firing to book within the given deadline.

In a tweet on Friday, CM Mann said: “The Punjab government is committed to providing justice in the Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan firing cases. I appeal to the protesters to lift the blockade from the highway so that commuters are not inconvenienced. It is the duty and responsibility of the government to ensure quick justice by punishing the accused.”

Following CM’s tweet, state agriculture minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal reached Behbal Kalan and held talks with protesters on Friday evening. “The sacrilege and police firing cases will be resolved soon. I came here to request protesters to lift the blockade. They have agreed to open one side of the national highway. We have assured them that the matter will be resolved by the end of this month,” Dhaliwal said.

Despite attempts by the district administration and police, the protesters had refused to lift the blockade for the past six days. Around 20 panchayats of surrounding villages also participated in the meeting with the minister and assured protesters that they will also join them if the state government failed to act by February 28.

Sukhraj Singh, son of one of the victim’s, Krishan Bhagwan, who has been sitting on a dharna seeking justice for the past 424 days at the Behbal Kalan bus stop. He said: “I want to tell the CM that blocking the road is not our hobby but we were left with no other option. After CM’s appeal and talks with the minister, we have decided to open one side of the highway till February 28. The main reason why we have opened the way is the local panchayat’s request that locals are facing inconvenience, ” he said.

Two Sikh protesters Gurjeet Singh of Sarawan village and Krishan Bhagwan Singh of Niamiwala village in Faridkot district were killed on October 14, 2015, when they along with others, were protesting against a series of sacrilege incidents in Bargari and Burj Jawahar Singh Wala.

In a press statement, the CM said both the Shiromani Akali Dal and Congress have connived with each other to save the guilty of sacrilege and police firing these incidents. “While the unfortunate incidents of desecration and firing on innocents took place during the Akali regime, the Congress actively shielded the perpetrators of these crimes during its tenure,” Mann said.

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  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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    Parteek Singh Mahal is a multimedia correspondent based at Faridkot in Punjab. He covers medical education, politics and Punjab police.

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