Tarn Taran – Senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Ravinder Singh Brahmpura on Monday alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) not only seized power by running a “misinformation campaign” on the sensitive issue of sacrilege but also “derailed” the actual process of justice.In a statement, the SAD vice-president and former MLA said the new sacrilege bill being introduced by the AAP government is a “political drama” intended to cover up its own failures over the past three years. “The tragic incidents of 2015 in Bargari, Behbal Kalan, and Kotkapura were extremely painful, and their pain resides in the heart of every Punjabi. Our government at the time had immediately initiated action by constituting an SIT (Special Investigation Team) to probe the matter as per legal procedure. However, the opposition at the time, especially the AAP, saw it as an opportunity for political gain instead of sharing the pain of the Panth (Sikh community).” Brahmpura said.
He alleged, “Instead of letting the truth emerge, AAP created a false and misleading narrative against the Shiromani Akali Dal. They misled the innocent people of Punjab and the Sikh community by claiming they knew the culprits and would jail them within ’24 hours’. This false propaganda affected the investigation process and became an obstacle in the path of justice.”
Launching a sharp attack on the AAP government’s current performance, Brahmpura said, “It has been three years of their own government now. If there was even an iota of truth in their allegations, why have they been unable to present a single piece of evidence? They have all the investigating agencies at their disposal, yet there have been no results. This proves that their sole purpose was to defame the Akali Dal to seize power, not to deliver justice.”
He claimed that the new bill is equivalent to the AAP government admitting its own failure. “When they could not catch the culprits as per their promise, they are now trying to change the subject by bringing a new law. This bill is nothing more than a devious tactic to throw dust in the people’s eyes,” he added.
“We reject this bill and demand that the government stops enacting new dramas. Instead, it should immediately issue a ‘White Paper’ and clarify to the people of Punjab what investigation it has conducted in three years based on its false allegations,” Brahmpura said, concluding that the “SAD is committed to real justice, a path that was obstructed by AAP’s politics.”