Punjab: Samana Desecration Case Solved, Police Claim

Punjab: The Patiala Police has claimed to have solved the Samana sacrilege case, even as the possibility of a confrontation between traders and protesters looms in the coming days. Patiala SP Gurbans Singh Bains stated that, following an analysis of CCTV footage, they have identified a few school students, aged around five years. He said, “The students told us that they found the holy book at a scrap shop and picked it up. While on their way to school, they discarded its pages. However, we are still investigating this matter.” Meanwhile, the protesters today received support from the SAD (Punner Surjit) faction, which staged a demonstration in solidarity with the Samana Tower agitation. In Patiala, a sit-in protest was held outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office, led by former Cabinet Minister Surjit Singh Rakhra.
Amidst a large gathering of people, the protesters demanded the immediate enactment of a law to prevent the sacrilege of religious scriptures. Criticizing the government, Rakhra remarked that despite being in power for four years, it has failed to fulfill its promises regarding cases of sacrilege. He also made reference to the ongoing struggle led by Gurjit Singh Khalsa. Former Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh also expressed concern over the recurring incidents of sacrilege and demanded “legal action to uphold the sanctity of the Guru Granth Sahib.” In Samana, traders stated that the blockade has pushed them toward an economic crisis. Local shopkeepers remarked, “Navratri begins tomorrow, yet the administration has done nothing to resolve this issue. We are already incurring losses. We support the enactment of a strict law against sacrilege, but this ongoing sit-in is now adversely affecting our businesses.” For the past month, approximately 100 protesters in Samana have been staging an indefinite sit-in in support of Gurjit Singh Khalsa. Gurjit Singh Khalsa has been staging a protest since October 12, 2024, by climbing a 400-foot-high tower, demanding the enactment of a strict law against sacrilege.