Raakhi Jagga
Chandigarh: Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, AAP MLA from Amritsar North, Saturday visited the family of one of the victims of Behbal Kalan police firing incident of 2015, two days after Punjab government appointed a new Advocate General, who, as a lawyer, had once represented a 2015 sacrilege accused.
Kunwar Vijay Pratap visited the family of Gurjit Singh at Sarawan Bodla village in Faridkot district.
Gurjit Singh was killed when police opened fire on group of people protesting against the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib at Bargari village in Faridkot. The other victim was Krishan Bhagwan Singh of Behbal Khurd village.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Sadhu Singh, father of Gurjit Singh, said, “The AAP MLA (Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh) was the IGP at the time when the incident took place. He had probed the firing incident before quitting his police service and joining AAP. I respect his stand on this issue. He came to our house on Thursday. It was a courtesy visit. He will come next week also on the ‘barsi’ of my son (Gurjit Singh).”
Sadhu Singh said, “The AAP government had made tall promises to deliver justice in the sacrilege incident but even it is playing politics with it now. I support Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh for airing his opinion on the issue without being influenced by anyone. At times he goes against his own party also.” The AAP MLA had raised his voice against the appointment of Gurminder Singh as the Punjab AG saying he had represented suspended IG Paramraj Umranangal in Behbal Kalan firing case. Sadhu Singh supported the MLA on this.
Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, who as IGP had headed an SIT that probed the Kotkapura firing case, had said, “I honour and appreciate the wisdom, credibility, and capability of Gurminder Singh ji. However, keeping in view the principles of natural justice, it is not advisable to appoint a person who has previously represented an accused in Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan cases. These cases are crucial and sensitive from the state’s perspective as well as for the people of Punjab in general.”
It may be noted that Kunwar Vijay Partap had also questioned the L K Yadav-led SIT probing the firing incident. This SIT was formed in May 2021 during the Congress government. The AAP MLA had stated in October last year that how can an SIT formed by the Congress government deliver justice? In April 2021, the high court had quashed the report submitted by Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh. Afterwards he took voluntary retirement from police service and joined AAP. A protest dharna in the name of Bargari morcha has also been going on at the Behbal Kalan firing location since November 2021. Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh had also visited that protest site in October last year. In June this year he even resigned as chairman of government assurances committee of the Vidhan Sabha which was to hold meetings on sacrilege probe issues.
Meanwhile, Sadhu Singh will be organising an ‘akhand path’ (continuous reading of the Guru Granth Sahib) in memory of his son on October 12, while ‘bhog’ will be held on October 14.