No role in SIT summons to Badals, actor Akshay Kumar

Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said on Monday his government had no role in the summoning of former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, former deputy CM and SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal and actor Akshay Kumar by the Special Investigation Team probing the 2015 sacrilege and police firing.

"The SIT is an independent entity and is functioning without any government interference," Amarinder told media in Sangrur, around 130 km from Chandigarh.

"My government's job was to form the SIT as per the unanimous decision of the Vidhan Sabha, which it has done, and now the onus of investigation is on the SIT," said the Chief Minister.

The senior Badal has been asked to appear before the SIT, headed by inspector general Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, on November 16 followed by his son Sukhbir Badal on November 19. Akshay has been asked to appear before the SIT on November 21 at the Amritsar Circuit House.

The SIT was set up by the Amarinder government in September this year to probe cases of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib and the firing ordered on those protesting the sacrilege cases in October 2015 when the Akali Dal-BJP government headed by Parkash Singh Badal was in power in the state.

Two persons were killed in the police firing in Behbal Kalan village near Kotkapura town in Faridkot district.

--IANS

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