New clues in sacrilege cases, report to be out soon: Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann
Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann has claimed his government has got major clues in the 2015 sacrilege cases and a watertight case, incorporating the fresh evidence, is being prepared.
Speaking on the concluding day of the three-day Punjab Vidhan Sabha session on Wednesday, the CM said the findings had been sent for vetting by legal experts to ensure the guilty were not let off. “The AAP government is firmly committed to ensure exemplary punishment to the perpetrators of the crime and a fresh report on the matter will be filed soon,” he said.
Post-cabinet meet, cm to meet farmers
- CM Mann has called a meeting of the Cabinet on Thursday to discuss issues of farmers
- He will later meet leaders of the BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) and the Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union
- Unions protesting in Sector 34, Chandigarh, seeking implementation of draft agriculture policy
- Other demands include debt waiver and steps to check corporatisation of agriculture
State’s finances under stress: CAG
- A mismatch between receipts and expenses indicates a rising fiscal stress in Punjab, states CAG report for 2022-23
- Though revenue increased by 10.76%, expenditure has grown at a much faster pace of 13%
- In 2018-19, subsidy bill (mainly on account of free power) was ~13,361 cr. The same increased to ~20,607 cr in 2022-23 after AAP govt offered 300 free units
CLP Leader Partap Singh Bajwa had on Tuesday accused the AAP government of delaying prosecution sanction in the sacrilege case against Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim.
On concerns raised by the Congress and various Sikh religious bodies over “tardy progress” of probe into the sacrilege cases, the CM said, “Instead of filing the report in a hush-hush manner and leaving loose ends, as happened during the tenure of the previous governments, we are ensuring that all facts are supported by evidence. Ensuring justice in the sacrilege cases is not only our guarantee, but also our responsibility.”
Mann said the SIT probing the Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura police firing cases had got new clues and investigations were underway.
Taking a dig at SAD chief Sukhbir Badal, the CM said the Akalis had been pushed into political oblivion due to their wrongdoings. “They protected the perpetrators of the sacrilege. The Akalis had claimed that they would rule for 25 years, but instead they are left with just five leaders,” he alleged.
Earlier, former IPS officer and AAP MLA Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh demanded a special House sitting for a debate on the issue. He also sought tabling of the SIT report on the firing incidents.
The MLA, who, in the past, had slammed his own government, said on August 28, 2018, the House through a resolution withdrew investigation into the sacrilege cases from the CBI and formed an SIT. “Six years later, justice is yet to be delivered in both sacrilege and police firing cases,” he said.
Hitting out at the then SAD-BJP and the Congress governments, he said the people of Punjab should know who botched up the investigations that led to the SIT report on the police firing cases being dismissed by the Punjab and Haryana High court. Now, the report, which was not part of the court proceedings, could be tabled in the House, he said.