The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today rejected the apology proffered by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Ashish Khetan for the blasphemy committed by him by comparing Guru Granth Sahab ji with his party’s youth manifesto and said if anyone needed to apologise for this sacrilege it was AAP Convenor and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.In a statement here, SAD mp and secretary general Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa said the blasphemy was committed in front of Kejriwal during a recent function held at Amritsar to release the party’s youth manifesto. “Kejriwal did not protest against the blasphemy then or even later giving a clear indication of the respect he has for the holy book of the Sikh community. Now it is incumbent on him to seek apology from the Sikh Sangat as well as take strictest action against Khetan. This is necessary to assuage the hurt feelings of the entire Sikh community”.Mr Dhindsa said as far as Ashish Khetan was concerned, the latter had displayed a mentally sick disposition. “There is no other explanation for the cruel manner in which he insulted the Guru Granth Sahab ji”. He said what was even more surprising was that the entire Punjab leadership of AAP was maintaining a studious silence on Khetan’s sacrilegious act. He said no Sikh or even a Punjabi could remain silent after this attack on the Granth Sahab ji. “But the manner in which the AAP leadership of Punjab has remained silent on this issue indicates that it has sold its soul to outsiders. AAP leaders in Punjab are afraid of speaking up against the outsiders as they are beholden to them”.
The veteran SAD leader said if this was the state of affairs now, how one could expect AAP leaders of Punjab to speak up against its central leadership if the party ever came to power in Punjab. He said it was obvious that these same leaders would remain quiet when the AAP central leadership went about its job to end subsidies including free power for farmers as already stated by it.Stating that the episode was a wakeup call for Punjabis, Mr Dhindsa said the real face of AAP was before the people. “This is a party which does not respect your religion as it has insulted the Granth Sahab ji as well as the holy Gita and Bible. AAP leaders are also being investigated for being party to the desecration of the holy Koran at Malerkotla. Their earlier role in inflaming communal passions is also before the people”.The akali leader said in direct contrast chief minister Parkash Singh Badal stood as a beacon of communal harmomy and brotherhood. “Badal Sahab has been successful in taking each and every community with him and is universally respected by representatives of all religions and religious bodies. Even now when attempts are being made to inflame passions the people of Punjab have not fallen into this trap as they trust Badal Sahab and know that nobody will be allowed to spoil the communal harmomy in Punjab under Badal Sahab’s leadership”, he added.