AAP leader from Punjab resigned over Gov't failure to probe desecration of holy books

AAP leader H S Phoolka resigned Friday from the Punjab Assembly, protesting that the state government has not acted on the findings of a probe into the desecration of holy books in 2015.

The MLA had earlier threatened to resign if the Amarinder Singh-led Congress government failed to act against former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and ex-police chief Sumedh Singh Saini over the firing on people protesting over cases of "sacrilege".

"I have sent my resignation as legislator of Punjab Vidhan Sabha to the Speaker through email," the Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Dakha told PTI over the phone.

Speaker Rana K P Singh is yet to take a call on the resignation, Assembly officials said.

In New Delhi, Phoolka visited the Election Commission office where he told reporters that 45 days had passed after Punjab ministers promised in the Vidhan Sabha action against the ex-CM and the then DGP.

"But no action has come about so far," he claimed. "This is a betrayal of the people of Punjab."

If his resignation is accepted, the AAP strength in the Vidhan Sabha will drop to 19 MLAs, eight of whom have formed a rebel group led by Sukhpal Singh Khaira.

According to the report of the Justice (retd) Ranjit Singh Commission set up to probe cases of desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib and other scriptures, Badal and Saini were "aware" of the planned police action in Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan to disperse protesters.

It held that the police opened fire in Behbal Kalan, where two people were killed, "without any warning and without taking permission from civil authorities".

Phoolka had earlier resigned as the Leader of Opposition in the state assembly, saying he could not do justice to the post as he was also fighting anti-Sikh riot cases in court in New Delhi.

In September, Phoolka alleged that due procedure was not followed by the police before it opened fire on the protesters.

On three different occasions, he had said he would resign if action is not taken on the findings of Justice Ranjit Singh Commission.

He said his resignation would put pressure on the state government to act on its report.

The Shiromani Akali Dal, in power when the desecration cases were reported, has rubbished the commission's findings.