Delhi: Punjab witnessed the second case of lynching within 24 hours as another man was beaten to death over disrespecting Nishan Sahib, the religious flag.
Residents of the Nijampur village allegedly caught the man near a Gurudwara, earlier on Sunday. The incident took place in the Kapurthala district around 4 AM. Although the police made it to the spot in time, arresting the alleged offender, people insisted that he be questioned on the spot.
However, the man was killed after a scuffle broke out between the Sikh groups and the police. A few videos showed the man being thrashed with sticks, the police shifted him to the hospital where he was declared dead.
Punjab police DGP Siddhart Chattopadyay put out a tweet with regards to the incident, “I have taken serious note of the unfortunate incidents in Amritsar and Kapurthala. Any attempt to violate the communal harmony in the state will be dealt with a firm hand.”
It further read “Stern action will be taken against all those disturbing the law and order in Punjab #Punjab StamdsTogether”
The Akali Dal has called the incident “a deep-rooted conspiracy”. According to a report by NDTV, Akali Dal MP Balvinder Bhuder said, “It is an attempt to weaken Punjab which is the sword arm of India. Some people have made it a political game over the last five years”.
In a similar incident, a man was allegedly beaten to death on Saturday evening after he tried to desecrate the sacred Guru Granth Sahib at the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
The youth, reportedly belonging to Uttar Pradesh, entered the restricted area and tried to pick the sword kept in front of the Guru Granth Sahib.
He was caught by security persons and was handed over to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) office, where he was beaten to death.