The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday asserted that former Akal Takht jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh informed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Behbal Kalan police firing case that Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal had "accepted responsibility and sought forgiveness for the incident, making his current denial a direct contradiction of his own admission."
AAP Exposes SAD's Evasion Tactics
AAP media in-charge Baltej Pannu stated that this revelation once again exposed the SAD leadership's attempts to evade accountability for sacrilege incidents and the subsequent police firing on peaceful protesters. "The former jathedar confirmed that during his appearance before Sri Akal Takht Sahib, Sukhbir Singh Badal accepted responsibility for events linked to the Behbal Kalan firing incident. This admission was made publicly before Sri Akal Takht Sahib and was video recorded. The recording is still preserved in the records of Sri Akal Takht Sahib," he said.
Contradiction in Badal's Stance
Questioning the SAD president's stand, Pannu remarked that if Sukhbir had accepted responsibility before Akal Takht, he could not now deny it before the people of Punjab. "If he truly considers Sri Akal Takht Sahib supreme, why is he contradicting his own confession?" he asked.
Historical Cover-Up Allegations
Pannu accused the SAD-BJP alliance, which governed Punjab from 2007 to 2017, of engaging in a cover-up of sacrilege incidents and protecting those responsible. He cited the 1986 Nakodar firing incident, stating, "Four Sikh youths were martyred when police opened fire on peaceful protesters demonstrating against the desecration of Sri Guru Granth Sahib. A significant portion of the Justice Gurnam Singh Commission report mysteriously disappeared during the Akali regime to prevent the truth from coming out. Officers who held key positions during that period were later rewarded with senior posts and political positions by the Akali Dal."
