2015 Sacrilege incidents: Gathering in Bargari to mark 3rd anniv of 2 killed in firing incidents

A large crowd converged in Bargari Sunday to mark the third anniversary of alleged police firings which led to death of two people during protests against a spate of sacrilege incidents in Punjab in 2015.

The sacrilege incidents had led to massive protests in different parts of the state three years ago and two people were killed in the firings at Behbal Kalan. Police had also allegedly fired at protesters to disperse them in Kotkapura.

Several state leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party, Punjab's main opposition party, also converged at Bargari.

Punjab ministers Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa and Sukhbinder Sarkaria, and other state Congress leaders attended separate programmes in memory of the deceased in their native villages, Sarawan and Niamiwala.

Anti-sacrilege protesters, who were staging a sit-in at Bargari since June 1, had organised a function to observe the third death anniversary of the victims. They had given the government a 15-day ultimatum on October 7 to take action against those indicted by Justice Ranjit Singh Commission which had probed the incidents of sacrilege.

The Congress government had set up the panel last year to probe incidents of sacrilege of the Guru Granth Sahib and other religious scriptures, after rejecting the findings of the Zora Singh Commission set up by the previous Akali Dal-BJP government, saying its findings were "inconclusive."
In reply, Amarinder Singh tweeted, "Stop politicking @ArvindKejriwal. It's shocking a man in your position talks of subverting law instead of waiting for SIT's findings. We don't live in anarchy. In any case who better than you'd know what happens when one doesn't go by law. Remember your apology to the Badal clan."