A large-scale protest was held outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Patiala, led by former Cabinet Minister Surjit Singh Rakhra, in support of the Samana tower protest. Protesters demanded the immediate enactment of a law to prevent the sacrilege of religious scriptures, with a significant public turnout.
Meanwhile, police claimed to have cracked the sacrilege case, stating that school-going students had torn the pages and “it was not a deliberate attempt”.
SP Patiala Gurbans Singh Bains said that based on CCTV footage, they identified some school-going students aged around five years. “They told us that they found the holy book from a scrap dealer’s shop and picked it up. On their way to school, they threw the pages. However, we’re still probing the matter,” he said.
Earlier, addressing the gathering, Rakhra criticised the government for failing to act on its promises regarding sacrilege cases, even after four years in power. He also referred to the ongoing struggle of Gurjeet Singh Khalsa, stating that he remains steadfast in his faith.
Giani Harpreet Singh raised concern over repeated sacrilege incidents and called for strict legal action to uphold the sanctity of Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Parmjeet Kaur urged unity among the community. Other leaders, including Jaspal Singh Kalyan and Iqbal Singh Jhunda, also demanded stringent legislation. In his concluding remarks, Rakhra stated that the overwhelming participation in the protest reflects a growing unity among the people on this issue, and that such strong public support will further strengthen the movement