CHANDIGARH, JUNE 12— The Aam Aadmi Party on Thursday asserted that the Shiromani Akali Dal leadership cannot evade accountability for the 2015 police firing incidents, following an SIT deposition by former Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh. AAP Punjab Media In-Charge Baltej Pannu stated that the former Jathedar’s official testimony confirms Sukhbir Singh Badal admitted responsibility for the Behbal Kalan firing incident during closed-door proceedings before Sri Akal Takht Sahib.
According to Pannu, the contradiction between a recorded admission before religious authorities and public denials constitutes a serious misdirection of the Punjabi public. He noted that the highest temporal institution retains a complete video archive of the event, which directly challenges the SAD president’s current public position on the investigation.
“You cannot seek forgiveness before Sri Akal Takht Sahib and then walk out and claim nothing happened,” Pannu declared. He maintained that as the Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister during the 2015 crisis, Badal remains legally and morally answerable for the state’s actions.
The media in-charge reordered historical context to show a recurring pattern in the region’s administrative history. He noted that during the Nakodar protests of 1986, peaceful demonstrators faced fatal police action under an Akali regime, which subsequently suppressed the Justice Gurnam Singh Commission report. Pannu stated that a matching administrative response occurred in 2015 when the government deployed tear gas, water cannons, and live ammunition against citizens protesting sacrilege, while initially framing innocent youths to shield the primary culprits.
Pannu further referenced the Kotkapura chargesheet, noting that judicial bodies have previously passed strictures regarding how the executive branch handled the demonstrations. He stated that the public has shown immense patience throughout the long-standing legal process.
In contrast to past administrative interventions, Pannu affirmed that the Bhagwant Mann government has insulated the Special Investigation Teams from all political influence. He stated that the independent functioning of the current inquiry ensures that high-ranking political figures will be held accountable under the law based strictly on factual evidence.
