Sacrilege acts, conspiracy to stoke communal fires: Sukhbir

The unfortunate incidents of sacrilege are very shocking and part of a deep rooted conspiracy to fan communalism and disturbing the hard earned peace in the state, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said here today.
The perpetrators of these dastardly acts would be given severe punishments, he added.
The Punjab Government is duty bound to maintain brotherhood and law and order in the state and the evil forces out to disrupt peace in state would be given a befitting reply, he asserted.
Sukhbir was addressing a meeting of the workers and leaders of district unit of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) here.

"Not only an attempt was made to disrupt peace in the state by sacrilege of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji but the universally respected institutions of Sikhism-- Sri Akal Takht Sahib and Mini Parliament of Sikhs the SGPC-- were also repeatedly attacked," he said.
The naming of recently held congregation as 'Sarbat Khalsa' was also an attack at roots of centuries old tradition of unity in the state, he added.

The Deputy Chief Minister said that the naming of people "serving prison terms for murder as Jathedars of the supreme holy takhts of the Sikhism is an attempt to violate the maryada of these most revered institutions".

He further said that the people rejected by the masses of Punjab through ballot are trying to create divisions within the Sikh community under the garb of 'Sarbat Khalsa'.
"Anti-Punjab and anti-panthic face of Congress has come to the fore with the recent revelations of telephonic conversations between Congress leaders and the organizers of Chabba congregation on November 10 at Amritsar," Sukhbir said.
Further lashing out at the Congress, the Deputy Chief Minister said that "it (Congress) is on the prowl and always looking for a chance to fan the fires of communalism and disturbing peace in the state."
He said that the opposition parties are trying to malign the fair name of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal by resorting to such vicious tactics which wont be allowed to succeed by the Shiromani Akali Dal.

Heaping fulsome praise on the people of Punjab for displaying unity, brotherhood and co-operation in maintaining law and order, he assured that the Punjab Government would ensure a stringent punishment to the forces who have been involved in the unfortunate incidents of sacrilege.
He said that keeping in view these developments, the state government in todays meeting of state cabinet has accorded approval to increase the punishment for sacrilege to life sentence.
The Deputy Chief Minister said that the motive behind the sadbhavna rallies is to re-assure the people of Punjab that the government won't allow anti-Punjab, rowdy and disruptive elements to fulfill their nefarious designs.

He appealed to the people to participate in December 4 Jalandhar rally in large numbers.