Anti-social elements will not be spared: Sukhbir Singh Badal

Mansa: Asserting that there was a need to maintain communal harmony and brotherhood in the state, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Saturday said the "anti-social" elements responsible for the sacrilege of holy book would not be spared.

Badal said stated this while attending Bhog of Akhand Path (continuous recitation of religious texts) held at Gurudwara Sulisar Sahib village Kotdharmu.

While praying for peace and unity in the state, Badal also expressed deep anguish at the incidents of the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib and said that these conspiracies are the handiwork of those elements who are jealous of brotherhood and communal harmony and development of state.

Badal assured that the matter pertaining to the sacrilege of holy book would be thoroughly investigated from all angles and the persons behind guilty of committing this heinous crime would not be spared.

He also said the "forces" behind stoking the fires of fundamentalism and communalism would not succeed in their nefarious designs.

"Because Punjab has been a perfect model of communal harmony and the bonds of brotherhood binding people of all the religions are much too strong to be affected by the psyche and horrendous actions of such anti social persons," he said.

Badal appealed to the people of the state to be wary of the designs of such "anti-social and communal forces".

He exhorted the people not to react on rumours and exercise extreme restraint.

He said that history stands testimony to the fact that whenever an "outside power" has made an attempt to vitiate the peaceful atmosphere of the state, it has to beat a retreat and the threads of brotherhood and peace of Punjab have emerged even stronger.