The former Punjab police IPS officer turned leader has renewed his pointed criticism of the Aam Aadmi Party government, accusing Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s administration of deliberately stalling the probe into the high-profile desecration cases that once galvanised Punjab’s religious communities and fuelled a political storm under successive governments
Chandigarh(By Our Political Correspondent) Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh, the former Inspector General of Police who led the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing sacrilege incidents during the Badal government era, has sharpened his criticism of the AAP dispensation, alleging that the promises of swift justice made during campaigning have curdled into bureaucratic inaction and political convenience.
Singh, who built a public profile as an officer of uncommon candour and later staked that credibility on a political career with the Bharatiya Janata Party, has consistently maintained that the Mann government inherited not just the files of these cases but also an obligation to the Sikh community to prosecute them without fear or favour. In his latest broadside, he accused the administration of treating the sacrilege probes as a political instrument rather than a matter of criminal justice.
The sacrilege cases centring primarily on the desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib Ji at Bargari and related incidents across Faridkot district in 2015 had convulsed Punjab for years.
They brought down governments, sparked street protests, and became a defining electoral issue. The AAP swept to power in 2022 partly on a promise to deliver closurclosure on these cases.
“The people of Punjab were told that justice would be swift and fearless. Instead, they are watching a government that speaks of accountability while practising delay.”
Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh, AAP Leader & Former IPS Officer
Singh’s critique carries particular weight given his own history with the investigation. As the SIT chief, he had reportedly made significant headway in identifying accused persons and drawing links to political patronage. His removal from the SIT under the Congress government of Captain Amarinder Singh a move he publicly contested made him a celebrated figure among those demanding justice, and eventually propelled him toward electoral politics.
Key Facts at a Glance
2015: Guru Granth Sahib Ji desecrated at Bargari, Faridkot · 2018: Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh removed as SIT chief under Congress government · 2022: AAP wins Punjab with promise of renewed sacrilege probe · 2024–26: Opposition alleges probe remains inconclusive under Mann government · Singh joined BJP and continues to press for accountability from the outside
The AAP government has defended its record, pointing to ongoing legal proceedings and maintaining that the judiciary’s pace should not be conflated with governmental will. Ministers have previously argued that the cases involve complex chains of evidence and that prosecuting them properly requires care rather than haste. Critics, however, insist that the political will to go after those with influence has visibly diminished since the party won office.
Political observers note the irony: Singh’s SIT work was celebrated by many of the same voters who later backed AAP, making his continued public pressure an uncomfortable reminder for the ruling party that accountability was central to their mandate. For Singh and the AAP,keeping the issue alive serves clear opposition purposes but the underlying question of jusAs of the time of publication, the Mann government had not issued a fresh formal response to Singh’s latest remarks. The sacrilege cases continue to wind through Punjab’s court system, their resolution no closer to the horizon than it was when they first tore through the state’s social fabric more than a decade ago.
This article was prepared as an editorial news report on publicly available political statements and developments. All allegations referenced are subject to due legal process and have not been adjudicated by a court of law. The right of reply remains open to all parties mentioned.