Chandigarh, July 26 National Commission for Minorities Chairman Iqbal Singh Lalpura on Saturday expressed anguish and condemned a series of incidents that amounted to sacrilege by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leadership in Punjab, which hurt the sentiments of the Sikh community.
"It is utterly shameful that during a solemn event in Srinagar, organised by the Punjab government to commemorate the 350th martyrdom day of Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib, entertainment in the form of bhangra, songs, and dance was allowed, even in the presence of Cabinet Minister Harjot Bains. This act directly mocked the unparalleled martyrdom of Guru Sahib and constitutes a clear sacrilege," said Lalpura, who is also a member of the BJP's national Parliamentary Board.
He said the highly objectionable incident during the Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly) session, where Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan recited an incorrect 'Ardaas da Dohra' before the debate on the anti-sacrilege bill.
"The sight of some MLAs and attendees with uncovered heads and shoes on their feet during such a sacred prayer is a blatant disregard for Sikh maryada; again, this is a sacrilege," he said in a statement.
Lalpura also pointed out unfulfilled promises on the sacrilege issue by the AAP government.
"Arvind Kejriwal's electoral promise to establish fast-track courts for sacrilege cases within a few days has proven to be a grand lie," Lalpura said.
Expressing dismay over Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann's conduct, the BJP leader said, "It's deeply regrettable that the Chief Minister was absent from the state-level function at Raj Bhavan dedicated to Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib's martyrdom day, choosing instead to travel to Gujarat with Arvind Kejriwal on that day."
"We call upon Arvind Kejriwal, Bhagwant Mann, Harjot Bains, Kultar Singh Sandhwan, and the entire AAP leadership to immediately apologise to the Sikh community and the people of Punjab for these grave acts of disrespect. Furthermore, we demand appropriate legal action under the existing law be taken against all those responsible for these sacrileges," he added.
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