‘Police inaction’ triggers new sacrilege row

Amritsar: A former senior civil servant now in BJP has accused the Punjab govt of political hypocrisy, claiming police refused to file a first-information report (FIR) under the state's brand-new anti-sacrilege laws.Jagmohan Singh Raju alleged "complete administrative inaction" regarding a complaint he submitted three days ago. The complaint seeks prosecution under the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act 2026 for the damage to Sikh holy books during the 1984 military operation at the Golden Temple.Raju questioned chief minister Bhagwant Mann's commitment to the legislation, which the govt has recently touted as a historic deterrent against sacrilege. "The law is being used selectively for political messaging," Raju said, noting that police were yet to acknowledge his filing. "The CM projects this as a milestone, yet the police machinery is unwilling to act when the complaint involves 1984."The complaint also invokes criminal conspiracy provisions under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Raju calls for an independent investigation supported by historical records and eyewitness accounts. He warned that if the police continued to ignore the matter, he will seek further legal remedies to force an investigation.