Sacrilege Of Holy Text Reported In Punjab's Khanna; Locals Smell Conspiracy

Khanna (Ludhiana): Yet again, desecration of a holy text has been reported from Punjab, this time from Singh Avenue locality of Khanna city where pages of holy book 'Gutka Sahib' were found torn and scattered in the street.

The moment the news spread, people came out in large numbers, expressing their anger and seeking action against the guilty.

Sources said a CCTV footage showed a child aged around 11 years scattering the pages of the holy text. But most of the residents are apprehensive about a possible conspiracy behind the incident and are seeking a transparent investigation into the matter. A few have pointed fingers at local slum dwellers and demanded that their antecedents be verified.

"This unfortunate incident has happened for the first time in our city. It is difficult to even describe it. The parts of the holy text have been torn and thrown in the street. We have also lodged a complaint with the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) about this incident.,” a local resident told ETV Bharat.

Receiving information, a police team reached the spot and launched probe into the matter.

Strongly condemning the incident, Shiromani Akali Dal's (SAD) Khanna in-charge Yadvinder Singh Yadu said, "This is a heinous crime and it should be thoroughly investigated. If timely action is not taken against the accused, the party and the Sangat may be forced to hold protests."

Meanwhile, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Tarlochan Singh said, "Police are taking the matter seriously. CCTV footage is being examined in which the child is seen tearing the pages of Gutka Sahib. Legal action will be taken against anyone whose role comes to light in this incident."

He further appealed to the people to maintain peace and not pay attention to any rumours. The local community has expressed hope that the truth will come out soon and the accused will be severely punished so that such tragic incidents can be prevented in future.

Several instances of sacrilege of holy texts have been reported from Punjab in the last one decade. Being a highly emotive issue, it has often taken centre stage in Punjab politics. Political observers said that people need to be restrained and guarded whenever such cases come to light. They further pointed out that with the state assembly elections barely a year away, this issue is expected to become a central one in the political discourse in the days to come.