Chandigarh:Shiromani Akali Dal president and Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today said he would not rest till those who are guilty of sacrilege of holy book are punished.
“Apprehending and ensuring exemplary punishment to those guilty of the most heinous and unforgivable crime of sacrilege… are like a holy mission and I will would not rest till I achieve it,” Badal said.
In a statement here, the SAD president said the grievous outrage against the highest honour had deeply wounded the psyche of every member of the peace loving community.
“No personal, political, constitutional or religious duty is above the need for me to fulfil this sacred mandate in a manner that serves as most effective deterrent against the recurrence any such events in future,” he added.
Badal said this was an act of certain elements and agencies who wanted to disturb the hard won peace of Punjab.
“I assure you we will unearth this conspiracy the elements behind it…soon,” he said.
The SAD president said he was also shocked and pained at the incident involving death of two Sikhs in Faridkot.
“The thought of these two precious souls lost in most painful circumstances is deeply disturbing and unsettling for me, and I am completely focussed on and committed to answering the the need to punish the conspirators who triggered the chain of events that led to the tragic loss of these precious lives,” Badal said.
While appealing to Punjabis to maintain calm despite the grave acts of provocation, the Deputy CM assured the people that the SAD-BJP government was steadfast in its resolve to protect the interests of all religions and communities and would not let any anti-Punjabi forces destroy peace and communal harmony in the state.
Two people were killed and 75 others, including a senior police officer, were injured as clashes rocked a number of places in Punjab, including Faridkot, Moga and Sangrur districts, earlier this week over alleged desecration of a holy book.