Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former Union Minister Vijay Sampla has strongly refuted a message circulated to the media by a person holding a political appointment in the Punjab Aam Aadmi Party government. The message claimed that "Sampla has denied signing the representation submitted to the Governor along with Sukhbir Singh Badal in connection with the sacrilege case."
Sampla termed the message completely false, baseless and a deliberate attempt to mislead the public. He said that if a person holding a political appointment in the AAP government has knowledge of the statements he made before the Punjab Police Special Investigation Team (SIT), constituted to ensure punishment for those responsible for the sacrilege incidents as well as the Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura police firing cases, then it raises extremely serious questions.
It clearly indicates that the Punjab Government is playing politics over a highly sensitive issue, exploiting the religious sentiments of Punjabis, and has little interest in ensuring justice for the victims. Sampla questioned why a politically appointed individual was briefing the media on matters related to the SIT when the Punjab Police already has designated media teams at the State and district headquarters, along with authorised officers for media briefings and press conferences.
If the SIT has any information to share with the media, it should be communicated only through the official channels of the Punjab Police. Why, then, is a politically appointed person issuing such communications on its behalf?
He said this clearly reflects the Punjab Government's attempt to hide its failure to bring the perpetrators of the sacrilege incidents and those responsible for the Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura police firing to justice during the last four years and four months by resorting to falsehoods and misinformation.
He added that the people of Punjab have understood this political game and continue to await genuine justice in the sacrilege cases.