SAD nominee faces tough questions

Balwant Garg

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, January 8

Akali Dal’s candidate from Jaito Suba Singh Badal faced a volley of tough questions from the son of Krishan Bhagwan Singh, one of the two persons killed in police firing while they were protesting the desecration of Guru Granth Sahib at Behbal Kalan village on October 14 last year.

During campaigning at Niamiwala village today, the Akali leader was listing out “achievements” of the government when Sukhraj Singh, son of the deceased, questioned him why the government and Akali leaders had been ignoring Niamiwala and other villages in the area for the past 10 years.

“Where were you in the past 10 years? You never came before. Why now?” Sukhraj asked Suba Singh.

The village sarpanch, Jagdev Singh, tried to put up a defence by saying that Sukhraj Singh was a first-timer. He claimed that once elected, Suba Singh would develop villages. The nominee soon left after that.

Not only in Niamiwala, the SAD candidate is facing a tough time in Bargari, Sarawan, Burj Jawahar Singh Wala and Behbal Kalan villages as well. These villages were the centre of the agitation for more than three months in the light of sacrilege incidents.

Though the government has laid the foundation stones of community centres in the memory of two persons killed in police firing — one in Niamiwala village and the other in Sarawan village — the government has been unable to pacify villagers.

Congress’ candidate Mohammad Sadique and AAP’s Master Baldev Singh, meanwhile, are focusing on these villages. The two candidates are promising to arrest those responsible for the sacrilege incidents and prosecute policemen who had killed protesters in Behbal Kalan.

Sadique began campaigning by visiting gurdwaras at Bargari and Burj Jawahar Singh Wala villages. He says the Justice Zora Singh Commission report on sacrilege incidents is a cover-up. “The CBI is not making any headway after more than six months of investigation.”