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FAITH

he Shiromani SAD SLAMS ‘SACRILEGIOUS’ for a united India, the country
hi Police. Of these 267 cases, five were ing the mob, exhorting it to attack and crime. The judge, however, observed Akali Dal has was partitioned because both
later taken up by the CBI. The SIT also kill Sikhs. The testimony was given by that such a recovery, given the lapse of reacted strongly REMARKS OF CONGRESS LEADER the Congress and the Muslim
scrutinised the records of 18 canceled Sangat Singh, the brother of one of the over 30 years, was virtually impossible. against what league chose to ignore the
cases. victims, Hardev. He claimed that when On the point about not examining any T it described as message fo the Great Guru
The SIT found 60 cases appropriate the mob moved towards them, he and independent witness, the court said: “It “outrageous, hateful and Shiromani Akali Dal has asked Sunil Jakhar Nanak Dev ji and agreed on
for further investigation. It filed “un- Hardev ran to take refuge in the room was difficult for any person with a good sacrilegious remarks of Sunil a communal partition of the
traced report” in 52 cases in the last of one Surjeet Singh, who too was a wit- conscience to witness the same.” Jakhar in which the Congress to apologise to the Sikh community for country of the great Guru
one-and-a-half years. ness in the case. While running, they It pointed out that finding other eye- leader had talked about “the giving an ‘unforgivable communal twist’ to the who gave voice to his anguish
Out of the eight cases being investi- looked back and saw their shops being witnesses — except for the victims and divisive legacy of Guru Nanak and protest even against God
gated, charge sheets have been filed in looted and burnt. their relatives — posed a hurdle as any- Dev ji between Hindus and life and the sacred message of Guru Nanak, over the tyranny and perse-
five and three, in which senior Congress The Congress leader and Sehra - one else would have been a part of the Muslims leading to the India- writes TEHELKA BUREAU cution of the people of India
leader Sajjan Kumar is an accused, are wat are said to have followed the two, mob. Both accused were also convicted Pakistan partition in 1947.” at the hands of the invad-
pending investigation. smashing the window, to attack the of dacoity, attempt to murder and other The SAD asked Jakhar it massacred thousands of gerheads with each other ers? “(Khurasaan khasmaan
Additional Sessions Judge Ajay Pan- three brothers — Hardev, Sangat, and serious charges for they attacked the to apologise to the entire innocent followers of Guru were united by the great keeya, Hinduustan draaya)
dey held Naresh Sherawat and Yashpal Kuldeep — as well as Surjeet and others. victims with a common intention and humanity and especially to Nanak Sahib in 1984.” Guru and the decision of The Akali leaders asked
Singh guilty of killing Hardev Singh They, in fact, attacked Hardev with his burnt their business establishments. the devout Nanak Nam Leva The SAD also asked Cap- both to peacefully consign a Jakhar not to forget that
and Avtar Singh in South Delhi’s Ma- own kirpan (dagger) and set the room The murder charge attracts a maxi- Sangat all over the world for tain Amarinder Singh to clar- part of the chaadar as per the even today, both India and
hipalpur during the riots. The case was on fire. Sangat, Kuldeep, and Surjeet, mum sentence of the death penalty. giving an unforgivable com- ify if he and his party shared traditions of their respective Pakistan have been brought
lodged on a complaint filed by Santokh besides Dara Singh and Mohan, were The court will be pronouncing its or- munal twist to the life and the Jakhar’s views in this regard. religions is the unique, un- on the same platform by the
Singh, brother of Hardev Singh. injured in the attack. Sangat regained der on the quantum of punishment on sacred message of the great “Jakhar and the Congress precedented and historic act legacy and the followers of
On November 1, 1984, Hardev Singh, Thursday. Guru.” party’s remarks are born of of communal harmmony in the Great Guru through the
Kuldeep Singh, and Sangat Singh were Justice Gauba notes The other charges besides that of It may be recalled that an utter disrespect for the which two mutually hostile proposed corridor to link
at their grocery shops in Mahipalpur murder are under IPC Sections 452 Jakhar had said in Sultanpur Guru’s cosmopolitan phi- communities displayed their Dera Baba Nanak with the
when a mob armed with iron rods, la- that 95 bodies were (house break for hurt, assault or wrong- Lodhi on Friday that the losophy which brought the love and reverence for the sacred Gurdwara Sahib at
this, hockey sticks, stones, kerosene oil, recovered after the ful restraint); 307 (attempt to murder); foundation stone of partition Hindus and the Muslims to- same prophet whom both Kartarpur Sahib. “India and
came towards them. The two rushed 324 (voluntarily causing hurt with dan- between India and Pakistan gether. The act of dividing the followed and claimed as their Pakistan have been speaking
to another person’s house and locked rioting, 22 of which gerous weapons or means); 395 (dacoi- had been laid when the Chaadar was also symbolic of own.” the language of hate and en-
themselves inside but they were even- remained unidentified ty); and 436 (mischief by fire) read with Hindu and the Muslim fol- the shared love and respect Bhunder and Grewal said mity recently. It is only only
tually killed. 149 (unlawful assembly guilty of com- lowers of Guru Nanak Dev ji in which both communities that Jakhar seems to forget befitting that the govern-
After the SIT began an investiga- and it was likely that mon object). divided his “Chaadar” ( sheet) held Guru Nanak Dev ji. Their even recent history because ments of the two countries
tion, it published a public notice on The court noted that the anti-Sikh ri- to be cremated separately as mutual decision to share the while the Hindus and have decided to transcend
August 27, 2016, in leading newspapers no prosecution was ots were a “dark chapter” in the history per the rites of each religion chaadar (sheet) had in fact Muslims wanted partition this hatred and join hands
of Punjab and Delhi requesting people initiated against of independent India. “The police force when Guru Sahib left for his united the two communities of the country in 1947, it was on the 550th Parkash Utsav
acquainted with the facts of the case and the civil administration did not take heavenly abode.” who decided with mutual left to the Sikhs to oppose it of Guru Nanak Dev ji on the
to give evidence. The SIT also found anyone in respect of timely or effective action to prevent the In a strongly worded state- and friendly consent to pay and to advocate the cause of issue of the corridor to link
witnesses in different cases and even these deaths riotous conditions from spiraling out of ment here, two senior Akali their respective reverence unity and of a united India. the historic shrines linked
sought help from the Punjab govern- hand. The criminal law process began leaders, Bawlinder Singh to the great Guru by sharing Who can forget how the SAD with the life of Guru Sahib.
ment which formed a team assist them. but hesitatingly and belatedly. Bhunder and Mahesh Singh his legacy symbolised by the leader Master Tara Singh ji How strange that people like
The court said it had kept “in mind consciousness on November 5 at a hos- “The fact that these cases have con- Grewal today described Chaadar. The act showed that representing the Sikhs had Jakhar are too full of com-
the horrifying events which took place pital and discovered that his brother tinued to linger on in courts at the stage Jakhar’s remarks as “full of the Hindus and the Muslims opposed the partition all munal hatred and bitterness
in the worst riots in Delhi when a mob had been killed. of trial or appeals is itself an indicator of communal venom and ut- who were otherwise at log- along. While the SAD stood even today to see and under-
of 800-1,000 people was looting and It was Kuldeep’s demeanor that the reality that the response of the law terly unacceptable” and said stand the significance of this
killing people, burning them alive.” proved to be critical for the court took has been tardy, ineffective and highly that it was unbelievable that simple development.”
The two convicted men — Naresh note of the “deep impact” the incident unsatisfactory.” the Congress party which, The Akali leaders said that
Sehrawat and Yashpal Singh — alleg- had had on his psyche. During his depo- The Delhi High Court has upheld along with Muslim League, Jakhar represents the mind-
edly followed the instructions of a then sition in January this year, he had wept a lower court’s decision to convict 88 was the prime villain in the set of hate as was evident by
Congress leader. It was an eyewitness inconsolably and his eyes had turned people in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. partition between India the remarks of his father on
testimony that proved crucial in the red. “His testimony remains unshaken The high court reserved its order in and Pakistan, should now the massacre of thousands of
conviction of a duo accused of killing and consistent,” judge Pandey observed. September. Today’s verdict comes 22 blame the tragedy on the innocent followers of Guru
two Sikh men during the 1984 riots in Defense counsel O P Sharma had years after the lower court’s judgment, events in the life of the great Nanak by Congress goons in
the capital. argued that the investigation agency delivered in 1996. Justice RK Gauba has Guru Nanak patshah and 1984. He must apologise for
According to the testimony, relied had not examined any independent directed all the convicts to surrender his followers. Left to its own his sacriligious remarks,” said
upon by public prosecutor S K Kain, person from the village. He pointed out within four weeks. designs, the Congress could the two leaders.
a Congress leader and one of the ac- that the investigation had not shown have caused even a second
cused, Naresh Sehrawat, were lead- the recovery of any weapon used in the LETTERS@TEHELKA.COM partition of the country when LETTERS@TEHELKA.COM

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