16-07-2025
Panel formed to find missing part of Justice Gurnam Commission report
Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Sandhwan on Tuesday announced the formation of a committee to find the missing action taken report of the Justice Gurnam Singh Commission on the 1986 Nakodar sacrilege and police firing incidents.
Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema brought to the Punjab Assembly's attention the Justice Gurnam Singh Commission Report, a copy of which is with the Assembly, but 'the action taken part mysteriously missing'. He urged Sandhwan to form a committee to find the report. Later, the Speaker announced the formation of a committee to find the report.
Participating in the discussion on the Punjab Prevention of Crime Against Religious Scriptures Bill, 2025, in the Assembly, Cheema said, 'The missing part of the Justice Gurnam Singh Commission report will enable the people of Punjab to ascertain the truth behind the 1986 incidents, understanding actions of those involved at that time, and see the reality of their descendants' current actions.'
Cheema said, 'Historically, whenever the SAD-led government or a religiously aligned government came to power in Punjab, there were attempts, either directly or through conspirators, to desecrate the Guru Granth Sahib to destabilise the state.' The minister cited an incident of February 2, 1986, during the SAD tenure, when five sacred 'Birs' were set ablaze at Gurdwara Sahib Guru Arjan Dev in Nakodar. Cheema recounted the events of February 4, 1986, stating, 'Four youths, Ravinder Singh Littran, Baldhir Singh Ramgarh, Jhirmal Singh Gursiana, and Harminder Singh, were shot dead while peacefully protesting, mirroring the peaceful demonstrations seen at Bargari.'
The finance minister pointed out that during these incidents, 'the state was governed by the ASD, with Surjit Singh Barnala as the chief minister, Captain Kanwaljit Singh as the home minister, and Sukhjinder Singh Khaira, father of Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira as the education minister,' and expressed regret that 'not a single action or First Information Report (FIR) was filed by the then government'.
Cheema alleged that the then minister Sukhjinder Singh had opposed the building of a gate in the name of one of the victims.
However, heated exchanges ensued between Cheema and Sukhpal Singh Khaira after the minister took Khaira's father's name. Khaira said the minister was misleading the House.
Amid the verbal duel between Cheema and Khaira, the Speaker asked the Congress MLA not to disrupt the House's proceedings and warned him of being named for indiscipline. Khaira dared Cheema to have an open debate with him over the issue outside.
LoP Partap Singh Bajwa intervened in the matter and said, 'Let us not go personal.'
