No justification for mob lynching: Amarinder Singh after men killed for sacrilege attempts

Patiala (Punjab) [India], December 21 (ANI): Days after sacrilege incidents in Punjab, former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday said that there is “no justification for mob lynching” and it is “condemnable”.

To a question on lynchings in Amritsar and Kapurthala, Captain Amarinder said that the accused should have been handed over to the police. “No civilised society can and should approve of such killings.”

On the issue of people getting angry for denial of justice over Behbal Kalan sacrilege, thus resorting to such killings, the former Chief Minister said, his government had pursued investigations into the matter from day one.

He said, first the state had to fight a long legal battle to get the inquiry back from the Central Bureau of Investigation and then the investigation was started and 22 people including police officials and civilians were arrested who are on bail now.

“There is no justification for mob lynching, whatsoever and it is condemnable,” Singh said.

This came as a man was beaten to death in an altercation by angry devotees after he allegedly attempted to commit sacrilege at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, earlier on December 18.

Later on December 19, an unidentified man was allegedly beaten to death by locals at Nizampur in Punjab’s Kapurthala district on Sunday for allegedly disrespecting the ‘Nishan Sahib’ at the village Gurudwara.

The Chief Minister also said that national security and the welfare of Punjab was on top of his agenda and hoped that the next Punjab Lok Congress-BJP government will successfully work on that.

He said that the case registered against Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia will not stand legal scrutiny as the government had not followed due process of law.

He also condemned the killing of the sacrilege accused in Durbar Sahib and Kapurthala, saying the accused should have been handed over to the police.

Responding to a question on the registration of an FIR against Majithia, he asked on what basis the government had registered the case against him since the report on drug trafficking was still lying with Punjab and Haryana High Court in a sealed cover.

“After all, there is a law in the country and I am sure it will not stand the legal scrutiny in the court of law”, he said, while adding, “just because you don’t like someone, you can’t put him behind bars”.

Captain Amarinder thanked the Bharatiya Janata Party leadership, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah in particular, for their whole-heartly support for Punjab.

He said, that his top-most priority was national security and good governance in Punjab. He warned those who were continuously sending in weapons in the state for creating trouble here. He emphasised the need for close coordination between the Punjab Police and various central security agencies.

On the issue of ticket distribution, Captain Amarinder Singh said that his party and the Bharatiya Janata Party will work together to finalise the candidates. He also thanked the BJP leaders and workers who attended the meeting.