Intensifying its attack on Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on the issue of sacrilege of Gurus, the Congress today demanded his immediate resignation and registration of an FIR against him under the new sacrilege law. The party also called upon people to observe a complete social boycott of Mann in accordance with the orders of the Akal Takht.
The party leaders said that the Sikh panth and the Gurus are above everything including partisan divisions. The party leaders also called for the dismissal of two Punjab Police officers who procured a false and fabricated “forensic” report to prove the Akal Takht wrong.
The party leaders said that not only should the two officers be dismissed under Article 311 of the Indian constitution, FIR must be registered against them for trying to falsify the Akal Takht. Senior Punjab Congress leaders today addressed a joint press conference to press for Mann's resignation.
They included the PCC president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, MLAs Sukhpal Khaira and Pargat Singh and the AICC Joint Treasurer Vijay Inder Singla. Speaking on the occasion, Raja Warring said that the Congress was unanimous in its demand for resignation of the Chief Minister.
He also said that Mann must present himself before Akal Takht and seek forgiveness. The PCC president said that after the registration of an FIR in Gurugram all doubts have been cleared as to how the AAP government was trying to cover up its lies.
He said, even some AAP leaders had realized that they were being made to defend the indefensible. He disclosed that the Finance Minister Harpal Cheema had protested during a party meeting as to why he was made to address a press conference based on a fake forensic report.
Warring expressed strong doubts about the intentions of the BJP government in Haryana pointing out how first the police there denied registration of an FIR. Charanjit Channi said that Bhagwant Mann had proved to be a serial offender.
He counted a number of such sacrilegious incidents linked with the Chief Minister, saying the current one was most unforgivable. Reaffirming the party’s call for boycotting the Chief Minister, he said, every Sikh was duty bound to follow the Akal Takht edict and boycott Mann.
No person from the Punjab Congress will have any personal or political interaction with the Chief Minister. Asserting that Mann must resign, he said, he (Mann) had tried to undermine the authority of the Akal Takht, the highest temporal authority of the Sikhs.
Demanding Chief Minister’s resignation, Channi said, he must be booked under sacrilege law as he had hurt the religious feelings of Sikhs by repeated offences. So much so, he added, the Chief Minister had the audacity to spend Rs ten lakhs to prove Akal Takht wrong.
Sukjinder Singh Randhawa said, the party was unanimous in its resolve that Mann must resign and FIR be registered not only against him, but also against Harpal Cheema, Baltej Pannu and two police officers who conspired against Akal Takht to prove it wrong. He demanded an inquiry as to where from Rs ten lakhs had been taken to pay for preparation of fake forensic report.
Besides, he asked, who paid the hotel bills which cost Rs 28,000 per room per day. Vijay Inder Singla pointed out that the Akal Takht provided all the chances and opportunities to the Chief Minister to present his case.
He said, it is the same AAP which sought votes in the name of doing justice in old sacrilege cases, but has now taken confrontation with Akal Takht. Pargat Singh said that the AAP had outdone even the Akalis in undermining the Sikh institutions.
He urged the DGP to register an FIR against the sustained malicious campaign against the Akal Takht Jathedar. Sukhpal Singh Khaira noted that Bhagwant Mann was directly challenging the authority of the Akal Takht.
He reiterated party’s demand for Chief Minister’s resignation and an FIR under new sacrilege law. He said, the current controversy had completely exposed Mann. He said, AAP supremo was in possession of several more such videos.
He said, the particular video was with Kejriwal before 2021 and he wanted to use it against Mann as he wanted to make his wife Sunita Kejriwal as the Punjab Chief Minister. Asserting that Mann was a serial offender, he listed several instances when Mann had breached the discipline.