The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) core committee today described the assassination attempt on S Sukhbir Singh Badal as a full blown assault on Sikh traditions, Khalsa heritage and the sacred values and institutions bequeathed by the Great Guru Sahiban. It also referred to the entire incident as part of an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government sponsored programme which was part of a deep rooted conspiracy to finish the moderate Akali leadership which stood for ‘sarbat da bhala’ as propounded by the Guru Sahiban.
The core committee meeting of the party, which was presided over by Acting President Balwinder Singh Bhundar, said the assassination bid was also an attack on the concept and ideology of Miri Piri symbolised by Sri Akal Takhat Sahib and on the sacred Sachkhand Sri Harmandar Sahib which now bore the unholy marks of the anti Sikh assassin’s bullet. “This bullet mark is also meant to cover up similar bullet marks left by Indira Gandhi”, it asserted.
The committee also made it clear that an attempt was being made to create conditions which could be used as an excuse to start a fresh wave of repression and elimination of Sikh youth in fake encounters. “The man who made the assassination bid is not a lone wolf but was actually a member of a pack of wolves.
He was acting merely as sharp shooter on behalf of powerful anti Sikh forces. Even on the day of the assassination attempt, he was being assisted and guided to S Sukhbir Singh Badal by senior officers of the Punjab Police. The over eagerness of the police officers to now dissociate themselves from their own wolf forcefully proves their own guilt”.
Even as the core committee rejected the police probe being conducted by the Punjab Police into the incident and said it would approach the Punjab Governor and demand an impartial probe, senior leaders Bikram Singh Majithia and Dr Daljit Chema said the role of Superintendent of Police Harpal Randhawa was dubious. “It seems the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government facilitated the perpetrator to reach S Sukhbir Singh Badal and SP Harpal Randhawa played a big role in this regard.
They detailed how the SP had earlier on the first day of ‘sewa’ had tried to isolate Mr Sukhbir Badal by asking youth leaders and even the SGPC Secretary to remove themselves from the scene even as he was seen shaking hands with the attacker – Narayan Singh Chaura. The senior leaders also questioned Akali leader Gurpartap Singh Wadala’s presence at a programme held by the Dal Khalsa in Moga yesterday.
They said the Dal Khalsa did not believe in the constitution and stood for Khalistan and asked Mr Wadala to clarify his stand on both issues. The core committee also passed a resolution stating the attack was part of a conspiracy to finish the moderate leadership of the SAD.
It condemned the attack on Sri Darbar Sahib by anti-Sikh forces at a time when a ‘sewadar’ – S Sukhbir Singh Badal was doing ‘sewa’ at the ‘dwar’ of the shrine. It also said the conduct of chief minister Bhagwant Mann in the entire episode was shameful. “Instead of taking stock of the situation following the attack on the holy shrine, the chief minister tried to belittle the incident”.
The Committee also praised the alertness and selfless spirit of courage shown by ASI Jasbir Singh and his compatriot which foiled the assassination bid even as it made it clear that Jasbir Singh was not supposed to be on duty on the fateful day and had come to Sri Darbar Sahib on his own.
“He was not part of the 175 cops posted at the shrine as claimed by Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar”, the resolution added.