SAD urges Governor to safeguard democracy and democratic institutions

Urges Governor to direct Cong govt to put an end to politically motivated and vendetta driven probes)

Chandigarh, March 11 – The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) – Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today urged Punjab Governor V P Singh Badnore to safeguard democracy and democratic institutions by directing the Congress government to put an end to politically motivated and vendetta driven probes and ensure no elected member is implicated in false cases.

A joint SAD-BJP delegation led by SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal and BJP State President Shwait Malik submitted a memorandum in this regard to the Governor and apprised him that the Congress party was politicizing probes and impinging on the rights of elected representatives to come to the aid of their constituents.

Briefing the Governor Mr Sukhbir Badal said the Congress government was politicizing the unfortunate incidents of firing which occurred in Kotkapura and Behbalkalan.  He said this exercise was initiated by the government immediately upon taking over the reins of the State in 2017. He said a Commission by the name of Ranjit Singh Commission was formed but the SAD boycotted it because of its partisan nature. “Subsequently a SIT was formed and we cooperated with it hoping it would identify the culprits responsible for the two incidents and give justice to victim families”.

Mr Badal said belying these expectations, the SIT initiated a witch hunt against Akali leaders and started conspiring to implicate them in false cases. He said former Kotkapura legislator Mantar Singh Brar had already been made accused in one such false case despite the fact that he was only performing his duty as an elected representative when the unfortunate incident took place in 2015.  “Wrong inferences are being deducted and the SIT is claiming he was pressurizing officers and stopping them from doing their duty which is deplorable”.

The delegation members said SIT was indulging in a pre-determined and biased investigation aimed at settling scores with the top Akali leadership. “The SIT is following in the footsteps of the Ranjit Singh Commission and implementing the mandate of the Congress party. Like in the case of the Ranjit Singh Commission, the findings of the SIT have also been announced by chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh in advance in the Vidhan Sabha”.

The delegation also briefed the Governor about the partisan role of the SIT member IG Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh. They said the IG was playing directly into the hands of the Congress party by issuing statements and summons as per the dictates of Congress leaders. They said the IG, who was known for indulging in vendetta fuelled probes in the past also, had failed miserably in achieving the purpose for which the SIT was constituted and was instead indulging in a hatchet job as per political dictates.

Stating that the SAD-BJP was in favour of a speedy impartial probe into the unfortunate incidents, the delegation said “we urge you to direct the State government to get both incidents probed by an independent investigating agency monitored by a sitting judge of the Supreme Court”.

BJP State president Shwait Malik said the Congress government had initiated the vendetta exercise in desperation because it had lost popular support after failing to implement any of the promises made to the people.

The delegation also brought it to the notice of the Governor that the Congress party was indulging in its old tricks of defaming Sikh institutions with the sole aim of damaging them. “We will not allow this to happen and also appeal to you to not allow the Congress to indulge in divisive politics to spoil the atmosphere of the State again”, they said.

The delegation members included Union minister Vijay Sampla, Charanjit Singh Atwal, Tota Singh, MP Prem Singh Chandumajra ,Mr Maheshinder Singh Grewal, S.Tota Singh, Dr Daljit Singh Cheema, Mr Bikram Singh Majithia,Mr Sikander Singh Maluka,Janmeja Singh Sekhon, Gulzar Singh Ranike & Baldev Mann from the SAD and Mr Madan Mohan Mittal, Mr Manoranjan Kalia, Mr Ashwani Sharma, Mr Kamal Sharma Mr Rakesh Rathore & Dinesh Babbu from the BJP.