BJP traps Punjab govt on Ranjit panel report

Saturday 29th September 2018 06:58 EDT
 
 

CHANDIGARH: Punjab unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has attacked the state ruling Congress government on the issue of the Justice Ranjit Singh (retd) Commission report on the sacrilege incidents that rocked Punjab in 2015. State executive body of the party has passed a resolution on the issue, accusing the Capt Amarinder Singh-led government of using the Ranjit panel report to play with the “emotive issue” of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib to settle political scores.

Presented by former state BJP chief Kamal Sharma, the resolution read, “The Congress government is playing into the hands of radicals. The Ranjit panel report has been prepared to settle political scores rather than punishing the culprits of sacrilege. The BJP also wants exemplary punishment to the culprits but the aim of this government is to make radicals happy.” BJP leaders also condemned repeated meetings between Congress ministers and radical leaders, saying such acts of the ruling party have only strengthened such elements who don't want to see peace in Punjab.

The resolution read, “By shaking hands with the radicals, the Congress is playing with fire and is only repeating its earlier mistakes when it made attempts to woo pro-Khalistan hardlines and the state suffered.” A senior party functionary said the BJP has asked its leaders to expose the Congress government on the panel report at the grassroots level. The party's move to project the Congress government flirting with Sikh radicals is a well-thought move, a BJP leader said as the party wants to get back its core Hindu vote bank.

Another senior leader said, “The party must expose the radical leaders sitting on dharna at Bargari as most of them have a controversial past. Leave aside the Hindu community, even a large section of Sikhs also doesn'tlike hardliners like Dhyan Singh Mand and Bajlit Singh Daduwal who are leading the Bargari sit-in.”


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