In Faridkot, sacrilege, police firing incidents not poll issues this time

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, May 2

Unlike the 2017, 2022 Assembly elections and 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the sacrilege and police firing incidents in Faridkot are not dominating the poll narrative on Faridkot Lok Sabha seat.

Despite a plethora of promises by political parties of all hues in the last eight years, while the prosecution and investigation in these cases is moving at snail pace with a number of pending petitions and cases relating to these incidents in local courts and High Court, no political party is making it a poll plank this time.

Sacrilege and police firing incidents in Behbal Kalan, Bargari and Burj Jawahar Singh Wala remained the major poll plank of AAP and Congress in 2017, 2019 and 2022 elections in this area but this time, as both these parties have not much to offer on the issue, so they prefer not to bank on it.

Unlike the AAP and Congress, it is the SAD which has shifted from defending to offending mode on the issue this time.

Trying to gather sympathy on this issue, the party claims that it was unfairly targeted by the AAP and Congress to grab power and tarnish the image of the party in the last eight years.

“Last eight years have shown that how this issue was misused by the political parties for their political motive to grab power. It was a conspiracy to tarnish the image of party among the Sikh voters,” claimed an Akali Dal leader, preferring anonymity.

In 2017 and 2019 Assembly and Lok Sabha polls, Congress harped on this issue, promising prosecution of all guilty. In 2022, it was the main poll plank of the AAP with promise of justice within two months of it coming into power. While BJP is not in mood to ride on this issue in the area, the SAD is also making a slight reference of the issue, just to clarify its position and win sympathy this time.

Earlier, Bargari, Niamiwala, Sarawan, Burj Jawahar Singh Wala and Behbal Kalan were the villages of Kotkapura and Jaito which were first on the campaign itinerary of Congress and AAP candidates.

Accused wants trial shifted

The court proceedings in both Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura police firing incidents have not seen much progress in local courts for some time now. An accused, former SSP Charanjit Sharma, approached the High Court for the transfer of the trial in the cases outside the state and the High Court has reserved its decision on this issue.

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