Congress inside, Akalis outside; debate on panel report veers around Panthic politics

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 28

Drama was witnessed in and out of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Tuesday as the debate on the Justice Ranjit Singh Commission got underway with the Opposition Akali Dal boycotting the proceedings.

And while the Congress MLAs began the debate in the House, outside the Akali Dal legislators held a “mock session” in protest clearly signifying that Panthic politics could stay on at the centre of the debate.

When the session began, the SAD MLAs, who were apparently unhappy over the time allotted to it, walked out of the House as the debate resumed after a small adjournment. They started a mock session outside the Assembly.

Congress MLA Harminder Singh Gill began the debate by talking about the involvement of Dera Sacha Sauda followers in sacrilege cases.

He talked of the report saying the Badals were instrumental in granting of pardon to Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim.

He also spoke of the then chief minister’s involvement in the use of police force on protesters at Kotkapura on the intervening night of October 13-14.

Gill mocked the grant of Panth Rattan and ‘Faqr-e-Quom’ titles to Parkash Singh Badal. He compared the sacrilege incidents of Punjab to the stealing of hair from the Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar. Gill drew the attention of the House towards anti-Panthic action of the Akalis.

Meanwhile, in a tweet, Capt Amarinder Singh dared the Akali leaders not to run away from the debate.

Gill demanded serious punishment for all guilty, including Badal. He demanded that a case be registered against Sukhbir Badal for defaming people. He also flashed pictures of Parkash Singh Badal with Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and Asaram.

Gill said strict action be taken against Sumedh Singh Saini and other police officers.

Later, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, who has been accused by the Akali Dal of having scripted the report, spoke by pointing out the links of Akalis with Dera Sacha Sauda. He also accused Akalis of not tabling the report of Justice Jora Singh Commission.

Randhawa said Punjab wanted to know what action the CM took on the commission report.

Sukhbir Badal, though not present in the House, tweeted, “The conspiracy was exposed by your @capt_amarinder mid-night secret meeting with radical bogus Jathedar Baljit Daduwal. If you want to discuss this false report we are ready. Give us equal time and I will come back to the Vidhan Sabha even now. Or you stand exposed.”

Earlier, ahead of the debate on the Justice Ranjit Singh Commission report, the Punjab Vidhan Sabha witnessed uproarious scenes after Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh sought a House committee to probe the allegations by SAD president Sukhbir Badal.

Sukhbir had alleged that mobile calls were exchanged between Congress ministers, AAP leader Sukhpal Khaira and controversial Sikh preacher Baljit Daduwal.

SAD MLAs stormed the Well of the House after the CM alleged that the SAD was misleading the House.

Addressing a press conference outside the assembly, Sukhpal Khaira accused Sukhbir Badal of concocting the call detail records of politicians to get the attention off the report.

Khaira claimed that because of the fabricated things that Badal had said and called his political opponents ISI agents, they would meet the same fate as Manjit Singh GK in the US two days back.

AAP MLA Kultar Singh Sandhawan accused the Akalis of throwing down the Ranjit Singh Commission report, and sought a resolution condemning the Akalis for desecrating the report, which had Guru Granth Sahib written in it. The House unanimously passed the resolution.

There was also ruckus over Sukhbir’s allegations that an AAP MLA, Justice Ranjit Singh, registrar of the commission and two ministers had met at a farm house and scripted the report.

Badal had levelled these allegations on Monday. The CM read out his statement, denying it and saying it was misleading. The CM said the towers mentioned in Badal’s statement did not exist.

Sukhjinder Randhawa said clear involvement of Sukhbir Badal on sacrilege is proved. He demanded life imprisonment for Badals.

He also demanded custodial interrogation of Gaganjit Singh Brar, principal secretary to former CM Parkash Singh Badal, and to take back inquiry from the CBI and hand it to police.

Randhawa demanded that title ‘Faqr-e-Quom’ be taken from Parkash Singh Badal.

Congress MLA Navtej Cheema demanded action against the Akalis for running parallel session without permission and showing it live on PTC.

AAP MLA HS Phoolka called upon SGPC members to listen to their inner voice and work for the panth.

Phoolka praised Capt Amarinder Singh for speaking truth on 1984 riots. He called upon the chief minister to do justice to the Ranjit Singh Commission report by withdrawing investigation of the sacrilege cases from CBI.

He also demanded a resolution for special court to hear sacrilege cases.

Talking in context of the action taken on commission report, Phoolka asked why the Congress is after small fish while leaving the mastermind out.

“Why former DGP Sumedh Singh Saini has just been given the notice,” Phoolka pointed out that police officers did not follow procedure should be tried under murder charges.

He also read a text from the report on involvement of Dera Sacha Sauda in the sacrilege and demanded a case against jailed Dera head Gurmeet Ram Rahim.

Sukhjinder Randhawa demanded in the House that no such Dera head should be allowed to raise his head in Punjab.

Phoolka dared the Akalis to challenge the call records placed on record by the Justice Ranjit Singh commission.

Phoolka demanded that the House pass a resolution demanding immediate implementation of the recommendations of the commission’s report.

Phoolka sought assurance from the chief minister to take action against ‘Fastway’ for not showing the debate.

Congress MLAs raise the issue of Fastway blocking channels that are airing the proceedings live.

Navjot Singh Sidhu too supports them and exhorts that the licence of PTC be cancelled.

Sidhu said Akalis ran away from debate because they had no explanation to give for a dark phase in the history of Sikhs.

Sidhu said that though Sukhbir Badal is known to win over people with money, he (Sidhu) was not for sale and is thus standing straight with his pride intact.

Sidhu also asked Badal to explain what happened to Rs 100 crore that sukhbir is alleged to have taken from Dera Sacha Sauda Chief in 2015, for allowing the latter’s movie to be released.

Sidhu said that to wriggle out of corruption cases, as many as 104 witnesses had withdrawn their statements, so what is Himmat in front of the lucrative things offered to him.

Himmat Singh is a key witness in the Ranjit Singh Commission report, who had deposed saying that he was present in the meeting of Sikh high priests with Badals when they were asked to grant pardon to the Dera chief.

Last week, Himmat had withdrawn his statement given to commission.

He asked the chief minister to take action against the Badals saying it is the voice of people of Punjab.

Sidhu said that action against Badals should be a deterrent for others.

“Why should the CBI investigate the case when it plays in the hands of the Centre? Let Punjab Police investigate,” said Sidhu.

AAP MLA Aman Arora pointed to various loopholes in the police investigation regarding police firing at Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura. He said the Congress government was not implementing recommendations of the commission’s recommendations.

Congress MLA Fateh Jang Bajwa writes an open letter to chief minister to withdraw his decision to handover investigation of sacrilege cases to the CBI.

Lok Insaf Party leader Simarjit Singh Bains said the entire world is watching the chief minister’s decision on punishment to be handed down to those behind the sacrilege.

Bains said the chief minister will have to bring out his swords and attack those who desecrated the holy books.

Bains invoked the sacrifice of martyr Udham Singh to remind the chief minister to act firmly with the sacrilege suspects.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Brahm Mohindra presented the resolution against the SAD-BJP for running a mock session in the House.

The lobby outside is part of the House, he said, while exhorting Speaker Rana KP Singh to take action for violation of the rules of the Vidhan Sabha. The proposal was passed by the House.

Sukhpal Singh Khaira said Akali leaders used to go to bhog ceremonies of terrorists. He said they are the ones who had links with those who opposed Government of India.

He accused the Akalis of cheating the Panth. He also accused the Congress of attacking the Darbar Sahib, which led to uproar in the House.

Khaira said though the order for use of police force was given by Parkash Singh Badal, but in fact it was ordered by “de facto” CM Sukhbir Singh Badal.

Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi said Parkash Singh Badal is suffering because of the sins of his son Sukhbir Singh Badal.

Channi said Sukhbir Badal conspired with Dera Sacha Sauda for polarisation of votes. He also sought inquiry into the firing at Sikh preacher Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwale.

On the demand of Phoolka, the speaker allowed AAP MLA Baldev Singh to speak. Baldev Singh demanded martyr status for those killed in police firing.

He demanded that 100 bed hospital and sports stadium at places where police firing and sacrilege incidents took place. “This will help the people of the area to overcome the loss,” he said.