Senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Dr Daljit Singh Cheema on Monday accused Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of cover-up of the conspiracy behind the murderous attack on Sukhbir Singh Badal by a Babbar Khalsa International operative.

He said to hide the truth behind the attack, a false FIR that termed the assault as a spontaneous act from a member of the ‘sangat’ was registered sangat’ which reduces the entire episode to a “hawai fire” (aerial fire).

Advertisement

Dismissing the FIR as devious, that seeks to hide the role of Punjab Police officers who shepherded the assailant, Dr Daljit Cheema said, “It is now clear that the AAP government is part of the conspiracy to eliminate the moderate Sikh leadership.

He went on to allege that the chief minister was working overtime to ensure that the deep-rooted conspiracy behind the attack on Badal did not see the light of day.

Demanding an impartial probe into the attack under the supervision of the high court, Dr Cheema said, “All the misgivings expressed by
senior leader Bikram Singh Majithia in a series of press conferences are proving to be true. Mr Majithia had detailed how Superintendent of Police Harpal Singh Randhawa had met and greeted the attacker and even held a discussion with the latter in the Sri Darbar Sahib complex on December 3.”

“It is evident from the CCTV footage that the attacker, Narayan Singh Chaura, had carried out a recce of the gurdwara complex for three days before attacking Mr Sukhbir Badal with a semi-automatic 9 mm pistol. Passing off the attack from a member of the ‘sangat’ as spontaneous would be a travesty of justice,” he added.

Dr Cheema recounted how the Amritsar Police and its Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar worked overtime after the attack to give an impression that it was stage-managed to evoke public sympathy for Mr Badal. “Now that all these claims have been proven to be false, the
AAP government is projecting a history-sheeter, who has a record of anti-national activities, as a member of the ‘sangat’. No member of ‘Any’sangat’ can commit such a heinous crime and this portrayal of the Sikh sangat by the AAP government is condemnable.”

“We will explore all options at our disposal to expose this conspiracy,” he added.