Former Punjab Chief Minister and Akali Dal leader Parkash Singh Badal was on Tuesday questioned by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Punjab police, probing the 2015 Kotkapura police firing incidents.
The SIT team led by Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) L.K. Yadav questioned Mr. Badal at his official residence here for over two and half hours.
The Shiromani Akali Dal accused the ruling Congress government of yet again politicising the SIT probe into the Kotkapura firing incident by deputing an unauthorised person to question the former Chief Minister during the investigation.
Senior SAD leaders Prem Singh Chandumajra, Maheshinder Singh Grewal and Daljit Singh Cheema alleged that the entire run up to the questioning of Mr. Badal by the SIT as well as making a former Director (Prosecution) a part of the team indicated that the Congress government was bent upon politicising the entire issue.
Also read: Charges fly thick and fast in Punjab over 2015 firing
“The retired officer, who did not hold any official position, was made part of the SIT team. The prosecution steps in only when the ‘challan’ is presented in the court. How can the former Director, (Prosecution) be made part of the SIT team”, they quipped, addressing a press conference here.
The leaders said it was unfortunate that the State government was misusing the police force to target the SAD. “The SAD was committed to identifying those responsible for the heinous acts of sacrilege as well as ensuring strict punishment in the cases. The party would protest against any probe which seeks to politicise investigation into such cases as they were linked with the sentiments of the Guru Nanak Naam Leva sangat,” they added.
Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA and Kisan Wing State president Kultar Singh Sandhwan and senior leader Manwinder Singh Giaspura said that ‘narco test’ of Mr. Parkash Singh Badal must be conducted for proper investigation in the case.
In 2015, incidents of sacrilege of religious text and police firing at people protesting against it took place in Faridkot. Mr. Parkash Singh Badal was the then Chief Minister. The SIT headed by Mr. Yadav was set-up by the government to investigate the two FIRs registered in connection with the Kotkapura firing incidents. The new SIT was set-up after the Punjab and Haryana High Court had in April quashed a report by the earlier SIT into the incident.
