Punjab Cabinet condemns sacrilege incidents

Punjab Cabinet today condemned the incidents of sacrilege of a Sikh holy book in various districts of the state, terming them as a "deep-rooted conspiracy" to disturb peace and communal harmony in the state.
Expressing grief and anguish over the "inhuman and heinous act", the Cabinet through a resolution said it was a sin against humanity which was perpetrated by a handful of anti-social elements attempting to disturb peace and communal harmony in the state.
The Cabinet also reiterated the firm commitment of the state government to "expose the conspiracy" with the active support of the people, an official release said.

The Council of Ministers resolved that the guilty would not be spared and exemplary action would be taken against them as a deterrent for others.
It also called upon people to rise above the parochial considerations of caste, religion and creed to give a befitting reply to the "fissiparous forces" active in the state.
Reiterating that Punjabis uphold the ethos of peace and brotherhood, the Cabinet hoped that the deep-knitted social fabric of the state would not be destroyed.

It said the government would thwart any attempt posing danger to the communal harmony, progress and prosperity of the state, the release said.

The Cabinet also expressed deep shock and anguish over the tragic death of two persons in Behbal village of Faridkot district and observed two minutes silence while expressing sympathy for the bereaved families.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal here this evening also took call on several other key issues.
An official spokesperson said the Cabinet also gave nod to issue guidelines for grant of permission to install telecom towers/mats/poles and Right of Way Clearance for laying optical fibres cables to registered telecom operators at Government buildings and lands as per the approved policy of Government of India.

This was done to create robust telecommunication infrastructure with adequate bandwidth to promote Information Technology, e-Governance, e-commerce and other services, he said.