Three years after two Sikh protestors were killed in police firing during a peaceful protest against sacrilege incidents that shook the state, a sea of humanity, including political and religious leaders, Sikh preachers, common people, converged at Bargari to send out a clear message to the Congress-led Punjab Government — punish those guilty or meet the same fate as the Akalis.

Political leaders, including those from Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), along with Sikh preachers, came together to observe third anniversary of Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan firing incidents — an event organised by parallel jathedars. Meanwhile, the Congress leaders, including Cabinet Ministers and party MLAs, attended the “bhog” ceremony of the two protestors while declaring that perpetrators of the firing incidents would be “behind bars soon”.

During the anniversary event, the protesters demanded action both in the sacrilege cases as well as subsequent police firing that led to the death of two civilians. All the speakers lashed out not only at the former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal holding him responsible for police firing, but also at the ruling Congress and the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh for “delaying” action against the guilty, especially the Badals.

The main speakers included Bargari Morcha leaders Dhian Singh Mand and Sant Baljit Singh Daduwal, AAP MP and state unit president Bhagwant Mann, AAP MLA and the Leader of Opposition in Vidhan Sabha Harpal Singh Cheema, AAP ‘rebel’ MLA Sukhpal Khaira, Lok Insaaf Party head and MLA Simarjit Singh Bains, Punjab Vidhan Sabha’s former deputy speaker Bir Devinder Singh, former MP Jagmeet Singh Brar and Apna Punjab Party head Sucha Singh Chhotepur, among others. While SAD stayed away from the event, its rebel leader Bhai Manjit Singh joined the function, and remained present on the stage.

Mand, the parallel jathedar of Akal Takht who is sitting on Bargari Morcha since June 1, demanded that the accused in Bargari sacrilege and Behbal Kalan firing be arrested.

A spate of sacrilege incidents shocked the state, that was followed by subsequent police firing incidents at the peaceful protesters on October 14, 2015, killing two Sikh protestors — Krishan Bhagwan Singh and Gurjit Singh — at Behbal Kalan village in Faridkot.

Khaira, addressing the gathering, insisted that the Bargari Morcha should take the form of a ‘dharm yudh morcha’ (a protest of morality). He also demanded that the Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) be ordered immediately to rid the khalsa panth (Sikh community) from “the control of a select few”.

Announcing that he would raise the issues of Behbal Kalan firing and Bargari sacrilege “everyday” in the Parliament’s forthcoming winter session, Bhagwant Mann said that SAD MP and Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal opposed him when he raised the issue in the House.

Also taking on the Chief Minister, he said: “Capt Amarinder is also equally responsible as he is delaying the action. The Congress and Akalis are playing a friendly match. They both held rallies on October 7 to divert attention from the core issue.”

Terming Behbal Kalan firing as “the biggest attack on the Sikh community in 21st century”, the former Congressman Jagmeet Brar said that Bargari Morcha has showcased the best example of being a supporter of communal harmony in the state by conducting two major events peacefully.

Lashing out at Capt Amarinder for rejecting his Cabinet Ministers’ demands to give justice in sacrilege and firing incidents, Chottepur cautioned the Chief Minister that the people would not allow him to enter their villages like the Akalis if he failed to deliver justice.

In same tone, AAP MLA Kultar Singh Sandhwan said that the Government has to deliver justice “otherwise, it will face the same fate as Akalis. It has been dragging its feet to take action against the accused police officers and the Badals who were indicted in Justice Ranjit Singh Commission report”.

Earlier, a protest was staged at Kotpaura by the Sikh preachers, and AAP leaders to observe the third death anniversary of Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan firing victims wherein the victims’ families also participated demanding justice “at the earliest”.

A Sikh preacher Harjinder Singh Majhi, who also lead the protest in October 2015, along with leaders present in the protest read out an open letter in which he accused senior Badal of “misusing Sikh institutions to nurture his political career”, holding him responsible for Operation Bluestar and “black days” in Punjab.

PERPETRATORS OF FIRING INCIDENTS TO BE BEHIND BARS SOON: BAJWA

Under mounting pressure from all quarters to act punish those guilty for Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan firing incidents, Punjab Cabinet Minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa on Sunday declared that the accused would be “behind bars soon”.

 Bajwa’, along with his cabinet colleague Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria and some Congress leaders including MLA Kushaldeep Singh Dhillon, MLA Harminder Singh Gill, former MLA Muhammad Sadiq, attended the barsi (death anniversary) of two Sikh youths killed in the police firing in 2015.

They first attended the barsi of Krishan Bhagwan Singh at his native village Behbal Kalan, and then attended the barsi of another killed youth Gurjit Singh at his village Sarawaan.

“Punjab Government is duty bound to give justice to the victims of Behbal Kalan and Bargari firing incidents and the perpetrators would be behind the bars very soon. Due to some legal issues connected with the probe, the matter is facing delays. But those responsible for the horrendous happening would face the law,” said Bajwa during the event.

Bajwa said that the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh wanted to ensure punishment to those behind the incident without leaving any room for loopholes.

He also made it clear that any officer trying to save his skin by resorting to legal impediments would see the government removing all such loopholes so as to make sure that nobody responsible for the firing incident gets away scot free.

Bajwa, in Sarawaan village, said that the previous Badal government had revived the memory of Jallianwala Bagh massacre by resorting to firing upon those protesting in a peaceful manner against the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib.