Punjab police have arrested the pathi of a gurdwara at Bir Talab village in Bathinda district on May 20 (Thursday), after he welcomed BJP’s decision to project a Dalit as the Chief Minister candidate of Punjab in the 2022 Assembly poll. In a special Ardas (prayer) he offered in the Gurudwara, Gurmel Singh Khalsa prayed for PM Modi’s long life and backed BJP’s reported decision to project a Dalit as CM candidate in the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections.
As per a report in Jagran, the Punjab police initiated action against him after a video of him went viral where he is heard offering prayers at the Gurudwara. A lawyer named Harpal Singh Khara reportedly lodged a complaint against Gurmel Singh Khalsa accusing him of hurting religious sentiments by batting for a Dalit face as the next CM.
Gurmel Singh Khalsa is the former sarpanch of Bir Talab and the husband of Rajpal Kaur, the present sarpanch of Bir Talab village in Bathinda.
In his ardas, Khalsa said being a member of the Dalit community, he wished the next Punjab chief minister should be a scheduled caste. He lauded BJP for its decision to project a Dalit as a CM candidate in the upcoming elections. He also offered prayers for the release of jailed Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh saying he was a victim of a political conspiracy.
Khalsa hurt religious sentiments by batting for a Dalit CM, the complainant said
The complainant said Khalsa’s conduct hurt the sentiment of Sikhs and strict should be initiated against him. He also demanded action against the Bir Talab gurdwara management committee for allowing Khalsa’s address at the shrine.
Senior superintendent of police (SSP) BS Virk said a case was registered under sections 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the Indian penal code. “A team will probe the role of other persons named in the complaint,” said the SSP.
BJP writes a complaint to National Commission for Scheduled Castes condemning Punjab police’s arbitrary action
Meanwhile, BJP state secretary Sukhpal Sra condemned the arbitrary action taken against Khalsa by the Punjab police and wrote a complaint to the National Commission for Scheduled Castes that Khalsa was targeted for supporting a Dalit attaining more political power in Punjab.