Taking strong exception to Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal’s allegations that the Punjab Chief Minister had met Baljit Singh Daduwal, a radical Sikh preacher who spearheaded the protest against sacrilege at Bargadi, at his official residence, Amarinder Singh on Monday urged Assembly Speaker to order a probe into the matter.
Lashing out at the SAD president for attempting to mislead the House with his unfounded charges, the CM said an inquiry would help ascertain the truth and nail the lies of Sukhbir.
The allegations were made by Sukhbir soon after the government tabled in the House the Justice (Retd.) Ranjit Singh Commission report into the sacrilege cases.
The report was earlier accepted, along with Action Taken Report (ATR), by the state Cabinet at a meeting chaired by the CM. The Cabinet gave its formal nod to the tabling of the report in the House.
Asserting that he had never met Daduwal and does not even recognise him, Amarinder said in response to Sukhbir’s allegations that when he had gone to Bargari after the police firing, he was told that the Sikh preacher was also sitting there. But he had neither seen nor ever met him personally, said the CM.
Pointing out that the CM residence was monitored by Close Circuit Television Cameras (CCTVs), Amarinder said in the Assembly that the CCTV videos could easily be checked to expose Sukhbir’s brazen lies.
Sukhbir had alleged that the CM had met Daduwal to hatch a conspiracy ahead of the tabling of the Justice (Retd) Ranjit Singh Commission report into the sacrilege cases.
The CM dared Sukhbir to a debate over the sacrilege incidents that had rocked the state during the regime of the SAD-BJP. He also requested the Speaker to initiate House proceedings against the MLA for lying on the floor of the House.
Amarinder said the Akalis were merely indulging in cheap gimmicks now to divert public attention from their misdeeds of 10 years, particularly the incidents of sacrilege which they had failed to check during their rule.
He challenged the Akali leaders to join the debate tomorrow on the report and not run away from it, as they had been doing on key issues in the past.