Amarinder blasts CM for ‘shielding’ Majithia

Monday, 28/04/2014

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2014/20140428/punjab.htm#3

Amritsar: Former Chief Minister and Congress candidate Capt Amarinder Singh today lashed out at Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for “shielding Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia and giving him a clean chit” in a case of blasphemy. The minister had distorted Guru Gobind Singh’s ‘shabad’.

Addressing a series of public meetings in the city, Amarinder said: “By giving a clean chit to Majithia, Badal is equally guilty of blasphemy. By explaining it as a mere slip of the tongue, the CM is not only protecting Majithia, but also giving a signal to the Sikh clergy. This is condemnable.”

He said Badal had, perhaps, not understood the seriousness of the offence or was being bullied by Majithia. It was unbecoming of Badal to give a clean chit to Majithia, he argued.

The former Chief Minister said the issue needed to be referred to the Sikh clergy comprising the five High Priests. He said that Sikhs across the globe were keeping a watch on the developments. He said Majithia should be punished to send out the signal that the influential too were accountable to the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs.

Amarinder dubbed BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi as a “threat to Indian democracy and democratic values of secularism and inclusiveness”. To a query, he demanded a probe into Akali leader Sunny Johar’s mysterious death. “The police is trying to hush up the matter. I hope that justice will be done,” he said.

Amarinder criticised former Chief of Army Staff General VK Singh for “distorting his statement on the 1965 war with Pakistan”. On General VK Singh’s remark on the delay in the ‘one rank, one pension’ scheme, Amarinder asked: “Why didn’t the BJP-led NDA Government do anything on the matter?”

Majithia’s effigy burnt

Sikhs in Fatehgarh Sahib burnt Majithia’s effigy for distorting Gurbani.

They said such acts of denigrating the Sikh Gurus would not be tolerated. The protesters, who assembled outside the historic gurdwara in the town, said that the minister had hurt their religious sentiments. They urged the Akal Takht Jathedar to declare him “tankhaiya” and ex-communicate him. They also demanded that Majithia be removed as Youth Akali Dal president.

‘Chief Minister is equally guilty’

It is unbecoming of the CM to give a clean chit to Majithia. Sikhs across the globe are watching the development. Majithia should be punished to send out a clear signal that the influential too are accountable to the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs.

Capt Amarinder Singh, Congress leader

Jat Maha Sabha attacks Badal

The All-India Jat Maha Sabha has held Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal responsible for the denial of the benefit of reservation under the OBC category to state Jats. Addressing a press conference here, secretary general Yudhvir Singh and vice-president Harpal Singh said: “Badal deliberately delayed the matter as he feared that the Congress would get the credit for it. For petty political interests, Badal has denied reservation benefits to the educated Sikh and Hindu Jats.”