M A I N   N E W S

Sacrilege: Badal to meet Advani
Tribune News Service and PTI

Moga, October 14
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said that his cabinet had asked the Union Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, to enact a law to give exemplary punishment to those responsible for committing sacrilege of holy books and hurting the sentiments of the people.

Addressing a congregation at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib at Muktsar, Mr Badal said, “I will be meeting the Home Minister in this regard soon to press for the early enactment of such a law for taking stern action against those found guilty”.

He said strict action would be taken to punish those found involved in recent acts of sacrilege in different parts of the state.

Mr Badal said Baba Piara Singh Bhaniara, the controversial author of a banned book, and his band of followers would have to face the consequences as per the law for committing the alleged sacrilege.

The Chief Minister charged the Congress and former Union Minister Buta Singh for “hatching a conspiracy” to disturb peace in the state by “exploiting the situation”.

Later, talking to reporters, Mr Badal said he favoured a healthy discussion between the SGPC, the Akali Dal and the Sikh intellectuals over the issue of “freeing the Akal Takht from the control of the SGPC”.

The Chief Minister said this when asked to comment upon the proposal of a Sikh scholar and author Patwant Singh that the Akal Takht should be freed from the SGPC’s control.

Patwant Singh had said this at a seminar organised in Chandigarh yesterday.

The Chief Minister said the Shiromani Akali Dal had nothing to do with the proposal and it was the SGPC which could take such a decision, adding. “There was nothing wrong in having a healthy discussion on the subject.”

Criticising the stand taken by the Panthic Morcha on the sacrilege issue, Mr Badal said they were bent upon creating obstacles without any valid justification.

The Panthic Morcha had rejected Mr Badal’s offer of a judicial probe into the sacrilege incidents by a sitting Judge of the High Court. Instead, they are demanding inquiry by a three-member tribunal of retired Sikh Judges to look into the issue.

When asked to comment over a report in a section of the press regarding his meeting with SHSAD President Gurcharan Singh Tohra on Thursday night, he categorically denied having met him.

“There could be no compromise with the morcha people,” Mr Badal said.

SANGRUR: The bhog of “akhand path” was performed at the local Gurdwara Singh Sabha on Sunday to express repentance over the burning of “birs” of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, allegedly by the followers of Baba Piara Singh Bhaniara at different places in the state in the recent past.

An “ardas” was also performed for the welfare of mankind. Mr Gobind Singh Kanjhla and Mr Ranjit Singh Balian, both Ministers, Mr Parminder Singh Dhindsa, MLA from Sunam, Mr Gurbachan Singh Fatehgarh, district president of SAD, Mr Rajinder Singh Kanjhla, member of the working committee of SAD, and Jathedar Joga Singh Phaguwala, member of the SGPC, attended the function.

Addressing the gathering, the SAD leaders appealed to the people that they should keep themselves away from the anti-panth and anti-Punjab forces, which wanted to disturb peace in the state in view of the ensuing Assembly elections.

The SAD leaders also stated that strict legal action would be taken against all those who were involved in the sacrilege.