SAD protests inaction in missing ‘saroop’ case

Patiala, August 7

Almost a fortnight after a 100-year-old ‘saroop’ of Guru Granth Sahib went missing from Ardaspur Gurdwara, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal today led a protest against the police department. Many senior party leaders joined him at a ‘dharna’ in front of the office of the Patiala SSP.

‘No moral right to hold dharna’

Chandigarh: Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar on Friday slammed SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal for holding a protest in Patiala. “These are the same people who, while in government, had withdrawn the blasphemy case filed against the dera chief. They have no moral right to protest,” he alleged. TNS

The SAD president attacked those who “played politics on the sacrilege issue”, asking why these ‘jathebandis’ were silent now. “We have come here only because the district police failed in its duty. I have come to demand justice,” said Sukhbir, who refused to speak on any other issue. “The party will hold a ‘dharna’ in front of the SSP office till August 18 to demand recovery of the ‘saroop’ and arrest the culprits. If the police fail to solve the case by then, the SAD will announce its next course of action,” he said. — TNS