Chandigarh – The Shiromani Akali Dal today dared the AAP national convener and Delhi CM Arvind Kejrival and the Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann to come clean on reports that the ousted Advocate General Punjab Anmol Ratan Singh Sidhu was forced to resign because he had openly and squarely blamed the Delhi CM and his government for blocking the release of the ‘bandi’ Sikh Prof Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar.
SAD also took strong exception to the choice of Sirsa Dera chief’s counsel Vinod Ghai to replace the ousted AG.
The party also demanded an independent probe into allegations that the 2015 incidents of sacrilege of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji in Punjab were “a part of a deep rooted conspiracy by powerful political forces outside Punjab to destablize the Panthic govt led by Parkash Singh Badal and to divide and weaken the Khalsa Panth by sowing seeds of suspicion in its ranks.
“The conspiracy, still continuing, is aimed at making the Sikh quom totally leaderless and confused.”
In a statement here this afternoon, senior Akali leader Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal said, “Both the ouster of Anmol Rattan Sidhu following his stand on Prof Bhullar’s release as well as the choice of the Dera Chief Ram Rahim’s counsel as the new AG clearly necessitate a high level and independent probe into allegations that the 2015 sacrilege events during the Parkash SIngh Badal led government were a part of conspiracy engineered from outside Punjab in order to destabilise Punjab and its Panthic government. SAD demands that this conspiracy to weaken the Sikhs be probed transparently and immediately.”
On Prof Bhullar’s release, Grewal referred to developments in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. It may be recalled that the ousted AG had informed the court in writing that the Punjab govt had sent five letters to the Kejrival-led AAP govt in Delhi seeking Prof Bhullar’s release.The then AG had informed the court that the ball on the Sikh prisoner’s release, therefore, was in Kejrival govt’s court.
Grewal also referred to reports which said that Anmol Ratan’s reply to the court was seen by Kejriwal as direct indictment of him and his govt. The Akali leader also referred to media reports about an “ugly spat” between the Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and Kejriwal’s alter ego, Raghav Chaddha over replacement of the AG with Kejriwal’s handpicked choice.
Grewal further said the replacement of Sidhu with Vinod Ghai , the main counsel of the sacrilege-accused Dera Sirsa head Ram Rahim “has shocked every Sikh and every right thinking Punjabi. It is shocking and unbelievable that on the one hand the govt’s own SIT finds Ram Rahim guilty of the sacrilege of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji and on the other hand, the government chooses the same Dera Chief’s counsel Vinod Ghai to replace the ousted AG. With one stroke, Kejriwal first punished the man who supported Prof Bhullar’s release and then he (Kejriwal) rewarded the man whom the SIT named as accused for the sacrilege of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. It’s a double whammy for the Sikh quom,” said the Akali leader, adding, “How does the govt expect the new AG to oppose in court the same Dera Chief whom he has been defending so far in the heinous sacrilege of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji? We won’t remain a mute witness to this.”
