Incidents of sacrilege have increased in Pb under Cong: Akalis

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today claimed that incidents of sacrilege had increased after the Congress came to power in Punjab and urged the state government to solve all such cases and "expose" the culprits.

MP and SAD general secretary Prem Singh Chandumajra said his party had been asserting for long that the "eruption" of the cases of sacrilege during the SAD-BJP regime in Punjab was part of a "deep-rooted conspiracy to divide the state and ruin its peace and communal harmony".

"Recent events are proving us right as the incidents have increased since the new government took charge," he said in a statement here.
 

Chandumajra said since the Congress was in power in Punjab now, it could no longer take the "easy route of blaming the Akalis" for such incidents.

"Now, it is not only the responsibility of the Congress to stop these incidents, but also expose those responsible for the same. We have been maintaining that political elements, who stood to gain the most by defaming the Akalis, were behind the incidents of desecration," he added.

The Akali leader also called on the people to ensure that such incidents were prevented.

"I urge the Punjabis to guard their sacred places, be it gurdwaras, temples or mosques, by keeping a vigil, if need be. This will send a clear message to the mischievous elements that incidents of desecration will not be allowed in Punjab," he said.

Reminding the government that "peace and development" were the topmost priorities of the people of the state, Chandumajra said these incidents would not only derail the process of development, but will also scare off the potential investors.

"The government must move fast and get to the bottom of the huge number of sacrilege cases, which have been reported from Muktsar, Ludhiana, Sangrur, Faridkot, Tarn Taran and Ferozepur in the last 45 days," he added.

The Akali leader said it was unfortunate that the Congress government was adopting a "casual and indifferent" approach towards such an important issue that touched the core of our belief system by dragging its feet on the investigation into the cases of sacrilege.