CHANDIGARH—Following the beadbi incident at Ramdiwali Musalmana village on March 12, Revenue Minister S. Bikram Singh Majithia proposed indicting those responsible under murder charges. S. Majithia made this proposal during the Punjab assembly session on March 14. The Punjab government declared last year that the punishment for desecration would be life in prison.
“As the Court has already accepted Sri Guru Granth Sahib as living God, section 302 (murder) of Indian Penal Code along with 295-A (injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult religion) should also be imposed on the culprits responsible for the desecration incidents,” Majithia said. He added that the desecration of Sri Guru Granth Sahib pains the whole Sikh community and eventually results in a disturbance of law and order.
Sikh leaders who feel that Majithia’s comments in the assembly of Punjab were unexpected have said they were an attempt to gain Sikh votes in anticipation of the upcoming assembly elections of 2017. Recently, All India Sikh Student Federation President, Karnail Singh Peer Mohammad, also stated that those responsible for the crime of beadbi should be charged with murder.
It may be recalled that Jagdish Bhola, after one of his court appearances, had disclosed the name of Bikram Majithia as mastermind of drug racket. He had openly named Bikram Majithia before media and said that he would disclose name of another Badal Dal leader who are also involved in drug mafia. However, due to his family relations with the chief minister of Punjab, no charges has been filed against Majithia.
