Akali workers barge into Congress office over MLA Pargat's remarks in Jalandhar

Hindustan Times

18-07-2025

Tensions prevailed in Jalandhar when the workers of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) barged into the office of the district Congress committee on Thursday after statements of Jalandhar Cantt MLA Pargat Singh emerged in which he alleged that there was a 'deliberate delay' during the previous Capt Amarinder Singh government in the state in 'providing justice' in sacrilege incidents. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) protesting in Jalandhar.
The Akali workers, accompanied by youth Akali Dal activists, burnt effigies of the Congress leaders, alleging that Pargat Singh has exposed Congress' anti-Sikh stance.
YAD president Sarabjeet Singh Jhinjer said the Congress has a proven track record of being anti-Sikh from the 1984 riots to Operation Bluestar.
'The Congress has a long history of hurting Sikh sentiments. Now, with Congress MLA Pargat Singh admitting that the Congress government deliberately delayed justice in sacrilege cases for political gain, it reaffirms our stand that the party holds deep-rooted hatred toward the Sikh community,' he said.
He added that it is highly shameful that the Congress played politics on such a sensitive issue involving the sacrilege of holy granths.
'During their five years in power, they deliberately stalled justice just for cheap political gains. Pargat Singh must come forward and name those in the Congress government who were responsible for this delay,' the SAD leaders said.
Meanwhile, the president of the Jalandhar district Congress committee, Rajinder Beri, condemned the lawlessness created by Akali Dal workers at the party's office.
'They had no right to barge into our party office and hold a protest. Everyone knew the fact that serious sacrilege incidents happened during the SAD-BJP rule, and it was their leaders who orchestrated it with the help of fringe elements,' he said.
The party demanded stringent action against the Akali workers for creating a ruckus in the Congress office.