Punjab government invokes sedition charge against Sarbat Khalsa organisers

The Punjab government has invoked sedition charge against the organisers of Sarbat khalsa including three rival jathedars.

Punjab's deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday alleged that Congress played a "big role" in mobilising people for 'Sarbat Khalsa' and accused it and "some foreign forces" of conspiring to disturb peace in the state.

He said all those who were trying to disturb peace in Punjab would be arrested wherever they might be, including in other countries."

Congress played a big role in mobilising people for 'Sarbat Khalsa' (congregation of Sikhs)," he said during his visit to Golden Temple in Amritsar.

Badal alleged the people who organised 'Sarbat Khalsa' wanted to take back Punjab to the dark days once again.

Sikh hardliners had convened 'Sarbat Khalsa' on the outskirts of Amritsar on November 10 and announced removal of top Sikh priests including the Akal Takht chief.

The hardliners alleged that SGPC, which appoints Sikh head priests, was being controlled by the ruling Badal family.

They also gave a call for a march to the Golden Temple next day.

However, the police stopped them and later arrested several leaders of the Sikh radical groups.

Recently, the SAD-BJP alliance government has faced back-to-back protests.

First farmers of the state had held state-wide protests and blocked rail and road traffic over loss of crops.

Later locals were up in arms over alleged desecration incidents of Guru Granth Sahib."

Some party (Congress) leaders like Ramanjit Singh Sikki, MLA and its Kisan wing chairman Inderjit Singh Zira had addressed the conclave and this was evidence enough," he said.

He said those who opposed Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh on Diwali were not Sikhs but their enemies.

The deputy chief minister reacted strongly to the appointment of Jagtar Singh Hawara as the Akal Takht Jathedar at the November 10 'Sarbat Khalsa'."

What message can such a person deliver to the people who himself was a murder accused," he said.

'Sarbat Khalsa' organisers - United Akali Dal head Mohkam Singh, preacher Baljit Singh Daduwal and "parallel" Akal Takht head Dhian Singh Mand and Amrik Singh Ajnala of Damdami Taksal have been arrested and sent to jail.

On November 10, several Sikh outfits and hardline groups had convened what they called 'Sarbat Khalsa', a grand assembly of Sikhs, in Amritar and appointed Jagtar Singh Hawara, the convict in Beant Singh assassination case, as jathedar of Akal Takht.

With inputs from PTI