Foreign link in Punjab sacrilege: Cops

Situation in Punjab was ‘ very disturbing’, AAP MP Bhagwant Mann tells Rajnath Singh

In its report to the Union home ministry, the Punjab police is likely to share all incidents of sacrilege in different parts of the state as their probe indicates suspected foreign linkages in the incidents which have sparked widespread outrage and disturbance in the state.

The Punjab police had on Tuesday arrested two brothers — Jaswinder Singh and Rupinder Singh — for their involvement in the alleged desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib and claimed that they were getting instructions and funding from handlers in Australia and Dubai, following which the Central government has sought a report from the Punjab government, a senior home ministry official said.

“All necessary action will be taken against criminal elements who may be operating from within or outside the country for creating disturbance,” the official said.

The police sources said that the phone calls of the brothers had been traced to people in Australia and Dubai and a special investigation team will probe this aspect.

On Thursday, Aam Aadmi Party MP from Punjab Bhagwant Mann met Union home minister Rajnath Singh and urged him to ensure peace in the state. Mr Mann conveyed to the minister that the situation in Punjab was “very disturbing” in the wake of recent untoward incidents, following which the minister is learnt to have informed him of his meeting with Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal to review the situation.

Meanwhile, International Sikh Council chairman Muktiyar Singh also met the Mr Singh.

On Monday, the home minister had spoken to Mr Badal assuring him of “all possible help” from the Centre to calm the waters here.

Mr Singh conveyed to the CM that the Central government was concerned over the situation in Punjab and asked the CM to take necessary steps to maintain peace in the state. Central paramilitary forces have already een deployed in the state to assist the local police in maintaining law and order.

Mr Singh has also apprised Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the Punjab situation and details of his conversation with Badal.