In a firm stance against the perpetrators of the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday declared that those responsible will face exemplary punishment. Mann, speaking at the state-level Van Mahotsav function in Hoshiarpur, emphasized that while mistakes could be forgiven, sins could not, specifically targeting the leadership of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).
The Chief Minister's remarks came a day after SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal’s written apology to the Akal Takht for his party's controversial decisions during its rule from 2007 to 2017, including the 2015 sacrilege incident and the Behbal Kalan firing, was made public. Mann asserted that the Akali leadership had already been judged guilty in the court of people, and it was now time for legal repercussions.
Mann accused Sukhbir Badal of trying to mislead the public with political theatrics, stating that while apologies might be accepted for minor misdeeds, sins of such magnitude were unforgivable. He lambasted the Badal family for committing grave offenses against the state and its people, insisting that their actions could never be pardoned.
The Chief Minister assured that the State Government was actively gathering evidence related to the sacrilege incidents and that the true culprits would soon be brought to justice. He criticized the rebel Akali leaders for their current expressions of regret, pointing out that they had been complicit in the Badal family’s actions and could not absolve themselves simply by issuing statements now.
During the Van Mahotsav event, Mann inaugurated the state-level celebrations by planting a sapling at the community center in Hoshiarpur. Joined by State Forest Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak, Revenue Minister Brahm Shankar Jimpa, and Member of Parliament Raj Kumar Chabbewal, Mann highlighted the state's ambitious plan to plant three crore saplings this year as part of its green initiative.
Additionally, Mann handed over carbon credit cheques worth Rs 1.75 crore to 818 farmers of the Hoshiarpur district, who had adopted environmentally sustainable agricultural practices such as direct seeding and low tillage, as first instalment of this ambitious scheme. He announced that Rs 45 crore would be distributed to 3686 farmers from across the state in four phases under this project, launched in the state with the help of TERI as pilot project.
“These funds will be transferred to the farmers through the Direct Benefit Scheme besides playing an active role in checking environmental pollution,” he said, envisioning that this scheme will act as a pivotal for reducing the effects of greenhouse gases. This is based on the ‘Polluter Pays Principle’ where polluters compensate the organisations or farmers working for reducing carbon emission, he added.
Appealing to the farmers, who receive free electricity for irrigation, Mann urged them to plant at least four trees around their tubewells, hinting that the government might consider implementing a law to enforce this scheme — an initiative aimed at promoting environmental sustainability and enhance the state's green cover.
Calls for Mass Movement to Boost Punjab's Green Cover, Combat Pollution
Emphasizing the crucial role of public participation, Chief Minister Mann has issued a clarion call to transform the state’s plantation drive into a mass movement aimed at curbing environmental pollution and enhancing Punjab's green cover. Mann, addressing the gathering, urged the people of Punjab to actively support the State Government’s efforts by planting more trees. “It is imperative that we turn this plantation drive into a widespread movement to benefit everyone,” he said, highlighting the urgent need for collective action.
Mann lamented the havoc wreaked by the reckless cutting of trees, attributing the increasing natural disasters across the country to this environmental negligence. He asserted that the only viable solution is to plant more trees. He advised farmers receiving free electricity for irrigation to plant at least four trees on their farms, adding that this requirement could potentially be legislated to safeguard future generations.
