PHAGWARA; Rajya Sabha Member Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal strongly raised the issue of repeated incidents of sacrilege of religious scriptures in the country and demanded the enactment of a stringent law to prevent such acts. His Special Mention on the issue was accepted by the Rajya Sabha.
While speaking, Sant Seechewal highlighted incidents ranging from the Nakodar sacrilege case 40 years ago to the Bargari incidents. Addressing the media, he stated that the desecration of sacred scriptures like Guru Granth Sahib, Bhagavad Gita, Quran and others is deeply painful and hurts the sentiments of people across communities, often disturbing peace in Punjab. He emphasized that Punjab, being a border state, requires special attention to ensure that no forces are allowed to exploit such incidents to destabilize law and order.
Sant Seechewal informed the House that during the Nakodar sacrilege incident on February 2, 1986, five saroops of Guru Granth Sahib were burnt. During the protests that followed, police firing led to the martyrdom of four Sikh youths. Similarly, during the Bargari sacrilege incidents, two Sikhs lost their lives in police firing. He expressed concern that justice is still awaited in these cases.
He further stated that religious scriptures are not merely books but serve as spiritual guides for society. Guru Granth Sahib, he added, is revered as a living spiritual presence that guides humanity.
He demanded that a strict and effective law be enacted at the national level to prevent sacrilege of religious texts. He also called for the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to uncover the truth behind all such incidents across the country. Referring to the ongoing protest at Samana, he noted that Sikh devotees are demanding justice and stricter legal provisions to prevent such acts.
Speaking to the media, Sant Seechewal stated that following the Nakodar sacrilege incident on February 2, 1986, there was widespread anger among Sikh devotees. When the community gathered peacefully on February 4, 1986, to protest, Punjab Police allegedly opened indiscriminate fire without warning, resulting in the martyrdom of four Sikh youths — Bhai Ravinder Singh Littran, Baldeer Singh Ramgarh, Harminder Singh Raipur Chalupar, and Bhai Jhilman Singh Gorsian. He raised serious questions, stating that if the FIR records are missing from the police station, how was an inquiry conducted under Justice Gurnam Singh? Moreover, how was the inquiry report presented in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha without an Action Taken Report? He stressed that these questions require thorough investigation and that justice must be delivered to the victim families.