Amarinder politicising sacrilege issue to divert attention from govt failures: SAD

In a statement here, senior SAD leader and MP Balwinder Singh Bhundur said: "It should be everyone's goal to ensure that the real culprits behind the ghastly sacrileges at Bargari are brought to book and given the severest punishment."

"Instead of working towards this goal, the Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleagues are trying to score brownie points, oblivious of their own inept track record in investigating similar cases. This will only help the real culprits and defeat the erstwhile SAD-BJP government's efforts to ensure the case reaches its logical conclusion," he added.

Coming down heavily on the Chief Minister, the SAD MP said it seems as if Capt Singh was not reading the newspapers and not keeping himself abreast with developments.

"The CM should know that SAD was the first party to reject the closure report filed by CBI into the investigations of the incidents of sacrilege at Bargari, immediately after the same came to light," said he.

"SAD has followed up this action by announcing that it would approach Union Home Minister Amit Shah and ask him to withdraw the closure report. The party would further ask Mr Shah to direct the CBI to take the case to its logical conclusion."

"Our party has also announced its resolve to explore judicial options, so that the guilty meet their just punishment. I fail to understand which part of this comprehensive reply, the CM failed to understand," he added.

The SAD MP also asked Capt Singh, not to indulge in double speak. "On one hand, you are supporting the SAD decision to withdraw the closure report and take the case to its logical conclusion, while on the other, you are questioning the erstwhile SAD-BJP government's decision to hand over the case of sacrilege incidents at Bargari to the CBI," the MP said.

"You seem to have forgotten that neither you, nor the Congress, protested against this decision. You have also developed amnesia vis-a-vis the fact that the case was handed over to the CBI, following a demand by some Sikh organisations. You also know that this was done, keeping in view the larger ramifications of the case, including the possible role of international players in the cases of sacrilege," he added.