Chandigarh, October 12
The Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, today ordered a judicial probe by a serving judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court into the recent acts of sacrilege in the state. The Chief Justice of the court has been requested to nominate a judge for the inquiry.

However, the Panthic Morcha’s senior leader, Mr Simranjit Singh Mann, has rejected the probe by a serving judge. The inquiry should be held by a panel of three retired Sikh judges, he said.

Yesterday, the Chief Minister appeared disinterested in ordering a judicial probe. The stand taken by the morcha at a meeting here yesterday regarding the judicial inquiry apparently made the Chief Minister change his mind.

The state government is worried about the political consequences of the proposed “Khalsa march” to be held by the morcha on October 17 from Fatehgarh Sahib to Chandigarh. The Chief Minister has been trying hard for the past few days to take the sting out of the proposed march by ordering one action or the other.

Ruling party circles say that by ordering the probe, Mr Badal has tried to convey a message to the Sikh masses that he is prepared to do whatever is required to expose the conspiracy behind the acts of sacrilege.

Political circles said that the Badal government had already taken action against Baba Piara Singh Bhaniara and his main supporters and also banned the Baba’s granth. The Chief Minister wanted to leave no ground for the morcha to justify its proposed march.

Earlier, the Council of Ministers, conceding another demand of the morcha, yesterday requested the Union Government to make a provision for severe punishment to those involved in acts of sacrilege.

It is the discretion of the Chief Justice to spare a judge for holding the inquiry. There are instances when Chief Justices have declined such requests due to the workload in courts.

In fact, now there will be two inquiries: one ordered by the Chief Minister and the other by the SGPC President, Mr Jagdev Singh Talwandi.

The question being raised in political circles is whether Mr Talwandi consulted Mr Badal, who has political control of the SGPC, before ordering the inquiry?