Protest against sacrilege incident in Punjab’s Morinda continues

PTI, Apr 25, 2023, 11:58 AM IST

Shops remained shut and police personnel were deployed in Morinda town on Tuesday as a group of people continued their protest against the sacrilege incident at a gurdwara.

Protests broke out on Monday after a man allegedly hit two Sikh priests and desecrated the Guru Granth Sahib at the gurdwara in Morinda. Police arrested Jasvir Singh and booked him for hurting religious sentiments and attempting to murder.

The incident drew condemnation from Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and other leaders cutting across political parties as well as Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh and SGPC chief Harjinder Singh Dhami.

The agitators, including ‘Nihangs’, held the protest at Verka Chowk here on Tuesday, demanding exemplary punishment for the accused.

In a video which surfaced on social media, the man wearing shoes could be seen entering the sanctum sanctorum of Kotwali Sahib gurdwara after crossing the railing and then hitting two ‘granthis’ who were reciting from the Guru Granth Sahib and then pushing the holy book. Jasvir Singh, who works as an electrician, was later overpowered by devotees present in the shrine and beaten up. He was then handed over to the police. Police on Monday had said the accused had been booked under IPC sections 295 A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) and 307 (attempt to murder).