Mann revives sacrilege pitch, takes aim at Akalis

Bathinda: Continuing his series of rallies across Punjab, chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday used Jaito's geographical proximity to Bargari and Behbal Kalan to launch a scathing attack on the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), reviving the issue of the 2015 sacrilege incidents and the subsequent police firing that claimed two lives.Addressing a rally in Jaito town of Faridkot district, Mann repeatedly referred to the sacrilege issue and announced that a special assembly session would be convened on April 13 to bring a stringent anti-sacrilege law, proposing provisions including denial of bail for one year and life imprisonment.Targeting the Akali Dal, Mann said the party was the "main operator" behind the sacrilege incidents, asserting that every vote cast in favour of the Akalis amounted to an endorsement of sacrilege. "The Akalis bruised the psyche of every individual by desecrating the Guru Granth Sahib, disrespecting Gurbani and ordering firing on peaceful protesters in Behbal Kalan and Bargari," he said, alleging grave disrespect to Akal Takht.Mann also accused the Akalis of patronising the drug trade during their long tenure. "They should be booked for the genocide of generations. Their hands are drenched in the blood of youth destroyed by drugs that flourished under their rule, even transported in official vehicles," he alleged. Summing up his charge, Mann said the Akalis began with "bullet wali goli" and later shifted to "chitte wali goli".Using a symbolic analogy, the chief minister told the audience they would have "three pens" to choose from while voting. "The Congress pen has red ink, symbolising the attack on Sri Harmandir Sahib and the 1984 riots. The Akali pen carries the ink of desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib. The third pen is AAP's, which is transforming Punjab into Rangla Punjab through path-breaking initiatives," he said.Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan and cabinet ministers Baljeet Kaur and Balbir Singh were present at the rally.Meanwhile, activists of farmer body BKU Ekta Sidhupur staged a protest at the Lehra Bega toll plaza in Bathinda district after several members were stopped and detained while attempting to reach the chief minister. The organisation accused Mann of using the police to prevent them from raising questions before him.