CHANDIGARH, Punjab—Amid reports emerging about harassment of Sikh pilgrims returning from Gurdwara Sri Kartarpur Sahib via newly built corridor, the opposition MLAs today created an uproar in the Punjab assembly. Some of them stormed of House well while others staged walkout from the assembly.
It is pertinent to note here that two Sikhs namely Hardeep Singh and Ranjit Singh of village Dehriwal Dogra (Gurdaspur) had paid obeisance at Gurdwara Sri Kartarpur Sahib on January 25. Next day, the Punjab police cops stormed into their house and asked them to report at the local police station.
At the police station, they were questioned about the treatment by Pakistan officials and who they met.
Beside this, two such other cases have also come to fore in which the pilgrims were harassed by questioning at police stations.
Raising the issue in assembly during zero hour, SAD leader Sharanjit Singh Dhillon cited a media report about this and sought a reply from the Congress led Punjab government.
Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia sought the suspension of Gurdaspur’s senior superintendent of police and a station house officer.
Aam Aadmi Party legislator Kultar Singh Sandhwan described the questioning of pilgrims as “shameful” and sought the immediate dismissal of Director General of Police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta over this.
However, Congress minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa defended the cops by saying that they questioned pilgrims following an input by the Intelligence Bureau. He quoted a letter written on February 17 by an Intelligence Bureau official to the Gurdaspur Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), seeking the questioning of some pilgrims.
Meanwhile, IG (Border Range) SPS Parmar has refuted the allegations of harassing pilgrims and has said that the Punjab police don’t have any intention of hurting a genuine pilgrim.
