Day after attack, poet booked for hurting religious sentiments

Tribune News Service

Anandpur Sahib, October 1

A day after Punjabi poet Surjit Gag was injured in an attack, the district police here today booked him on the charge of hurting religious sentiments. Ropar SSP Swapan Sharma said local SGPC officials lodged a complaint against the poet.

Gag is under treatment at the local Civil Hospital. He will be arrested on being discharged, the SSP said.

Anandpur Sahib DSP Raminder Singh Kahlon said SGPC officials alleged that Gag had posted two poems on Guru Nanak and an ‘ardas’ with derogatory language on his Facebook page. The police registered a case under Section 295-A of the IPC.

In a related development, the local police booked two persons who allegedly attacked Gag near Takht Kesgarh Sahib last evening.

Nangal SHO Satish Kumar said a case had been registered under Sections 323, 341 and 34 of the IPC against Yadvinder Singh alias Yadi of Jhinjri village and an unidentified person. Gag had named Yadavinder as one of the assailants.

Last year, the SGPC had alleged that the poet had equated himself with Guru Nanak and used derogatory language against the first Sikh Master in a poem, ‘Main te Nanak’ (I and Nanak).

Meanwhile, Punjab Lok Sabhyacharak Manch and Kendri Punjabi Lekhak Sabha have condemned the attack on Gag. Manch president Amolak Singh and sabha president Dr Sarabjeet Singh said such attacks could not suppress the voice of rationalists.