Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) core committee on Sunday demanded the immediate expulsion of Punjab Local Government Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, besides registration of a criminal case against his wife Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu as well as the organisers of Dussehra function — responsible for “abetting” the Amritsar tragedy.
SAD’s core committee, which met under the chairmanship of former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and attended by SAD president Sukhbir Badal and other senior leaders, rejected the magisterial inquiry ordered by the Congress Government while demanding a judicial probe by a sitting judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
Terming the man-made disaster as unparalleled on account of the criminal negligence and sheer abetment by the organisers, the core group condemned the “cover-up operation” launched by Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, and demanded registration of a fresh case in the matter as per the statement of the victim families.
The core committee said that like it was doing to every other section of society, the Congress Government was now muzzling the voice of the poor by instituting a tailor-made inquiry with the sole aim of giving a clean chit to the culprits and putting the blame squarely on the Indian Railways.
It said that this was being done despite the fact that the victim families were ready to present irrefutable evidence against a Congress councillor as well as Dr Navjot Kaur for abetting the tragedy.
“Evidence against the councillor and Sidhu is present in the public domain and this should be taken into account while proceeding against both of them,” the party noted.
“Keeping all these facts into account, there is no possibility of a free and fair inquiry by a magistrate who is reporting to Cabinet Minister Navjot Sidhu and his family,” said the party while condemning Sidhu’s “casual attitude”.
The core committee said that it was condemnable that the State was refusing to take action against the Congress leaders despite worldwide condemnation and a demand that the guilty be prosecuted however high and mighty they may be.
It noted that even heads of State including those from Russia, Canada and Pakistan, had expressed shock at the tragedy. “The entire world is watching, and in case, the Government continued to fail to give justice in the case, it would invite international condemnation on itself as well as the country,” said the party.
The committee also passed a resolution calling for Rs 1 crore compensation to each of the victim families as well as grant of Government job to the next of kin of the victims. It said a separate Government programme should be initiated to adopt the children of the victims.
The meeting also served an ultimatum to the Government to register a fresh case as per the statement of the victims and institute a judicial inquiry besides giving compensation as demanded failing which it would initiate an agitation to ensure justice to the tragedy victims.
