Akalis vandalise Rajiv Gandhi statue, Punjab CM warns of strict action

Strongly condemning the vandalisation of a statue of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi by workers of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in Ludhiana, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Tuesday asked Sukhbir Singh Badal, SAD president, to stop indulging in such petty mischiefs, warning him that such acts would backfire on his party in the coming Lok Sabha elections.

The CM also asked Sukhbir Singh Badal to immediately apologise for the obnoxious act of his party workers, who were clearly acting on an agenda to garner votes in the ensuing polls. Indulgence in such petty and condemnable actions will not absolve you or your family of the many sins of omission and commission against the Guru Granth Sahib and the Sikh community, the CM further told Badal.

Capt Amarinder Singh has directed the district police to identify the culprits responsible for the violence and take stringent action against the accused, as per law.

He reiterated that only a handful Congress, BJP and RSS workers were involved in the violence against the Sikhs in 1984 and that the judiciary was acting against them. Sajjan Kumar had already been sentenced to life term by the court and others involved in the perpetration of the riots would also face legal action, he added.

Had the Gandhis been involved in any way, they would have been named by at least some of the victims in the wake of the riots, he observed, adding that while he had personally visited the refugee camps to meet the victims, Sukhbir Singh Badal had packed his bags and left for the US and was thus totally unaware of the developments at that time.

The Akalis, in their frustration to gain political mileage, were taking law into their hands, which his government would not allow at any cost, the CM warned, adding that he would not let the state’s hard-earned peace be disturbed by anyone else.