Himmat Singh pressurised to disown his statement: Bolaria

Manmeet Singh Gill

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Tribune News Service

Amritsar, August 26

Jumping into the ongoing controversy regarding Himmat Singh, brother of Darbar Sahib head granthi Gurmukh Singh, who recorded his statement before Justice Ranjit Singh Commission amid probe into the sacrilege incidents and then took a U-turn, Congress MLA Inderbir Singh Bolaria has alleged that either huge monetary transaction or pressure exerted by SAD leaders could have forced him to disown his statement.

In a press conference here on Sunday, Bolaria released a resignation letter, purportedly written by Himmat Singh to the SGPC president on October 3, 2017. The letter reads, “Resignation in protest”.

Bolaria said, “The opening lines of the letter state that Jathedars were summoned to the CM house and instructed to exonerate Dera Sirsa chief. Himmat Singh was not under any pressure at that time. Now, as his brother has been made the head granthi, he too has been silenced using some Saam, Daam, Dand, Bhed.”

Bolaria, who was the Chief Parliamentary Secretary in the previous SAD-BJP government and parted ways on the issue of relocation of Bhagtanwala dump, also took potshots at SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia. “In a statement, Majithia had asked Minister Sukjinder Randhawa to get an ambulance ready. I want to tell him that he could come fully prepared to Vidhan Sabha when the commission’s report is discussed as he might need an ambulance.”

Bolaria said that former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, SAD president Sukhbir Badal, Bikram Singh and Harsimrat Badal were exerting pressure on the Jathedars to exonerate Dera Chief for impersonating Guru Gobind Singh to get political mileage.

“Now, even as the dera chief is a convicted rapist, the Badals have not uttered a single word to condemn his acts. It shows that they have been in close proximity from the beginning and are guilty of disturbing the peace in the state,” he added.