Punjab Police SIT summons Sukhbir Badal in 2015 Behbal Kalan firing probe; SAD Chief calls it 'political drama'

The Punjab Police's Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the 2015 Behbal Kalan police firing case has summoned Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal to appear before it on July 20. The SIT is investigating the sequence of events surrounding the police action during protests that followed the 2015 sacrilege incidents in Punjab.

Reacting to the summons, Badal alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government was attempting to revive the issue for political reasons ahead of elections. He described the latest development as "another drama" by the state government but said he would cooperate with the investigation, noting that he had joined the probe whenever summoned in the past.

The development comes days after senior BJP leader Vijay Sampla was also questioned by the SIT. Sampla has accused the Punjab government of spreading misinformation and interfering in the investigation, alleging that politically appointed individuals were making public claims about his statement before the SIT.

The Behbal Kalan firing, in which two protesters were killed during demonstrations over alleged sacrilege incidents in 2015, remains one of Punjab's most sensitive and closely watched cases.