Bathinda: Krishan Bhagwan Singh's son Sukhraj Singh, a victim of the Behbal Kalan police firing, and Sikh preacher Sukhjit Singh Khosa have strongly criticized Akal Takht acting jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj for his opposition to the new anti-sacrilege law passed by the Punjab government last month. In a joint statement issued in Faridkot on Monday, they termed the jathedar's stand on the new law as "misleading."
Confrontational Stance
Sukhraj Singh claimed that the jathedar's position on the new law was "creating an atmosphere of direct confrontation, which should be avoided." "Serving an ultimatum of 15 days to delete certain provisions in the law is not right and was not taken well even by the government," their statement said.
Amendments Not Interference
He asserted that amendments to the existing law, which made punishments harsher, did not constitute interference in the Rehat Maryada (code of conduct). "The decision about uploading saroops on the website was already taken in the previous law during the times of the SAD-BJP government headed by late Parkash Singh Badal," they said, adding that no hue and cry was made when the law was passed in 2008.
They also pointed out that since the state assembly had cleared the law and the governor had given his assent, it was not appropriate to question the law. Gargajj was not available for comment.
