In an attempt to take away the time-tested Panthic agenda from the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal, Congress on Wednesday announced to boycott the Khadoor Sahib by-election, necessitated after the sacrilege of the Holy Guru Granth Sahib at Bargadi in Kotkpaura, due to which the party MlA Ramanjit Singh Sikki had resigned in protest.
Justifying the decision of the party, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee chief Capt. Amarinder Singh said that the pre-eminence of the Guru Granth Sahib was more precious for the party than winning an election.
He said, “Since the basic issue of the sacrilege of the Holy Guru Granth Sahib, for which Sikki resigned, still remains unresolved, the Congress party decided there was no point in contesting the election”.
The PCC president reiterated that it was Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal who had first directed the sacrilege of the Holy Guru Granth Sahib in a bid at “controlled destabilisation” to divert the public attention from his failures and subsequently ordered the firing on peaceful protestors which left two persons dead and about 40 injured.
“Not a single person has been identified, leave aside punishing them for the sacrilege nor has any action been taken against the guilty police officials responsible for firing and killing of peaceful protestors”, he pointed out, adding, under these circumstances there was no point in seeking re-election.
The former Chief Minister maintained that the matter must be probed by a judicial commission, headed by a sitting judge of the High Court.
He said, “As Badal was unlikely to do that since he knows the buck will stop at him, the Congress after it forms the Government will set up the commission headed by a sitting judge to probe the sacrilege and punish the guilty.”
Alleging the ruling party of resorting to delay tactics, Capt. Amarinder said that Badal government had constituted a commission to go into the desecration of Guru Granth Sahi, three months ago but the commission has not yet even met and therefore, no progress has been made in identifying those responsible.
He pointed out no investigation is going on into the unprovoked and uncontrolled firing that took place at Bargari on a group of people who were blocking the road and reciting kirtan.
Justifying the boycott, Capt Amarinder said that Sikki had resigned for the desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib and the firing at village Bargari in which 2 people were killed and 38 had got injured.
Capt Amarider said that Sikki had expressed his wish that his conscience did not allow him to fight this bye-election. He agreed with Sikki as he also felt that the desecration of Guru Granth Sahib was an issue which far outweighed politics.
“And therefore, I recommended to the Congress president Sonia Gandhi that the party should boycott the Khadoor Sahib bye-election”, he said.
He added that though the Congress president had cleared the name of Sikki, however in view of the grave situation that has engulfed the Sikh community in Punjab because of the sacrilege, she left it to the PCC chief to take the final call.