Now, Panthic leaders distance themselves from AAP rebels

Balwant Garg

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, October 12

Five days after AAP rebel Sukhpal Khaira gave a 15-day ultimatum to the state government to arrest the accused in the desecration and Behbal Kalan firing cases or face another protest rally, Panthic leaders on Friday distanced themselves from the move, calling it an independent resolution of the AAP rebels and the Lok Insaaf Party.

“We have been sitting on an ‘Insaaf Morcha’, a religious protest for justice, for the past over four months and we have nothing to do with the political agenda,” said Baljit Singh Daduwal and Dhian Singh Mand, two of the Panthic leaders leading the protest at Bargari.

On October 7, when thousands of people from across the state participated in a march from Kotkapura to Bargari, demanding justice for the incidents of desecration of Guru Granth Sahib and the killing of two youths in the Behbal Kalan firing, Khaira had given the ultimatum.

Giving a call to the people to reach Bargari on October 14 on the third death anniversary of two Sikhs who were killed in police firing at Behbal Kalan, the Panthic leaders on Friday said neither before announcing the ultimatum nor after its announcement on the stage did any AAP rebel leader discuss the agenda with them.

“This ultimatum is the personal agenda of the political leaders, not of the people at Insaaf Morcha in Bargari,” said Daduwal.

Sources revealed that the Panthic leaders felt resentment over AAP rebels taking credit for the overwhelming response that the protest march got at Kotkapura and Bargari. The march had coincided with the Congress rally at Lambi and the Shiromani Akali Dal rally in Patiala.

“It is clear that the Capt Amarinder Singh government will not do anything. It has only created the hype of action against the erring police officials,” said Kanwarpal Singh, a leader of the Dal Khalsa.

When contacted, Khaira said, “I won’t comment till Iget the Panthic leaders’ viewpoint.”