Sacrilege shadow follows new Punjab AG; Kunwar Vijay Pratap, Congress slam the appointment

Two protesters were killed in Behbal Kalan, allegedly in the police firing, in the aftermath of incidents of sacrilege reported at Bargari and Burj Jawahar Singh Wala villages of Faridkot in 2015.

Gurminder Singh had represented Umranangal in the related petition. However, the Punjab and Haryana High Court disposed of the petition in July 2022, after which Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann had hailed the court verdict.

The CM said, “The verdict has paved the way for the government to seek strict punishment against the policeman accused of firing on innocent protestors at Behbal Kalan. Both the Akalis and Congress have connived with each other to save the guilty in this case.”

Speaking to The Indian Express on the appointment of Gurwinder Singh as AG, AAP Amritsar North MLA Kunwar Vijay Partap, said, “I honour and appreciate the wisdom, credibility, and capability of AG Gurminder Singh ji. However, keeping in view the principles of natural justice, it is not advisable to appoint a person who has previously represented an accused in Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan cases.”

He added, “These cases are crucial and sensitive from the state’s perspective as well as for the people of Punjab in general. My fight for justice will continue until the end.”

Congress MLA Partap Singh Bajwa said he agreed with Kunwar Vijay Partap’s views on the issue. “I agree with my MLA colleague Kunwar Vijay Partap on the fact that keeping with principles of natural justice, Gurminder Singh should not have been appointed as the AG of Punjab. He is no doubt a capable and honourable lawyer, but for a government looking to bring justice and closure to the Kotkapura & Behbal Kalan cases, one who represented the prime accused should not have been made the AG of Punjab, taking in consideration the sensitivity and religious sentiments of the People of Punjab,” Bajwa said.

AAP always does the opposite of what it says, Bajwa alleged. “They had opposed the appointment of advocate APS Deol on the same grounds during the Congress party government headed by Charanjit Singh Channi. Now they have appointed AG, who represented the main accused. Also, AAP said that it would punish Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal for these police firing case. Now AAP is actually favouring Sukhbir Singh Badal with this appointment,” Bajwa added.

The Aam Aadmi Party had turned this into a political issue after the Congress party government appointed Senior Advocate APS Deol to the same post in September 2021. Deol had previously represented former Punjab DGP Saini, accused in 2015 police firing cases.

AAP had termed his appointment as AG a conspiracy to deny justice in sacrilege cases and questioned the ethics of the office. Subsequently, Deol had to resign. Outgoing AG Vinod Ghai’s appointment had also sparked similar sentiments.

The same controversy

Three out of the six Punjab AGs appointed since 2017 have represented accused in 2015 police firing cases, while one faced political allegations of allegedly weakening the cases to favour the accused.

Congress and AAP came into power in 2017 and 2022, respectively, riding on promises, including the crucial one to deliver justice in the 2015 sacrilege and Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan police firing cases.

Closely associated with the investigation into police firing cases, former IPS Kunwar Vijay Partap’s resignation from the police department on the sacrilege issue was followed by his joining AAP in June 2021, few months before the February 2022 assembly elections.

His resignation in April 2021 marked the beginning of Captain Amarinder Singh’s exit from the Congress government. Kunwar Vijay Partap had, while resigning, accused then Attorney General Atul Nanda of inadequate representation in sacrilege-related cases before the courts.

Capt Amarinder Singh faced significant political pressure from within his own party on this issue, ultimately leading to his resignation as Chief Minister.

That summer, AAP had plastered posters of Kunwar Vijay Partap throughout Punjab. Captain was replaced by Charanjit Singh Channi as CM, who then appointed APS Deol as Punjab AG in September 2021, and the controversy followed.

Then leader of the opposition in the Punjab assembly, AAP MLA Harpal Cheema, had termed the appointment of Deol as AG a conspiracy to deny justice in sacrilege cases. Cheema said, “Legal ethics also do not allow a lawyer who is first fighting the case on behalf of the accused to be able to fight against the accused on behalf of the government. Deol’s appointment as AG is a conspiracy to save the accused, which could not be tolerated.”

The outgoing AG Vinod Ghai had not only represented Saini in the past but also rape and murder convict Gurmeet Ram Rahim, who himself is accused in the 2015 sacrilege case. Ghai was also a counsel for former minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, who is being probed by the Vigilance Bureau in a case of alleged “irregularities” to the tune of Rs 2000 crore in grain-lifting tenders when AAP appointed him last year while dodging the questions the party raised on Deol’s appointment.

Now, for the second time in a row, AAP has contradicted its stand on APS Deol’s appointment.