Once'confidant' of Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh, a former Indian PoliceService (IPS) officer Kunwar Vijay Pratap, who was handling the sensitive probeinto police firing after the desecration of Guru Granth Sahib in 2015 when theAkali Dal-BJP government was at the helm, on Monday joined Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) in presence of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Theinduction ceremony was held in the holy city of Amritsar, some 300 km from thestate capital, where Kejriwal came on a day-long visit.
Afterjoining the politics, Kunwar Vijay Pratap blamed the accused of the sacrilegecase for dictating the state government. He said his aim behind enteringpolitics and joining AAP is to start a new revolution.
"Nowwe are going to start a revolution from land of holy city. People's power mustgo to the people. We are here to establish new political sphere where we willbe instrumental in bringing reforms," he said.
KunwarVijay Pratap took voluntary retirement in April two days after the high courtquashed the report of the Special Investigating Team (SIT), led by him, intothe sacrilege incidents.
Thecourt directed the state government to reconstitute a new SIT without him onboard.
Playinga religious card after his induction, Kejriwal said the party's chiefministerial candidate in the state assembly polls slated in early 2022 would bea local from the Sikh community.
ParkashSingh Badal was the chief minister of Punjab when the police had opened fire onprotesters in Kotkapura on October 14, 2015, killing two and injuring othersafter alleged desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib in Bargari village inFaridkot district took place.
TheSIT is to ascertain as to who gave the orders to open fire, whether the copsfired in self-defence and if standard operating procedure was followed.
Afterthe high court order on April 9, the chief minister had refused to accept theresignation letter of Kunwar Vijay Pratap seeking premature retirement fromservice.
Decliningthe voluntary retirement plea, the chief minister said that he was a highlycompetent and efficient officer whose services were needed in the border state,especially at a time when Punjab is faced with various internal and externalsecurity threats.
Thestate needs the expertise and experience of the officer, who has contributedexceptional service to Punjab Police in various important positions, the chiefminister had said, describing Vijay Pratap Singh as a skilled, capable andcourageous officer with an exemplary track record.
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Referringto the high court's order in the Kotakpura case probe, the chief minister hadsaid the officer and his team have done an excellent job of expeditiouslyinvestigating the Kotakpura case, which the Akalis had tried hard to stall forthe past four years.
Blaminghis own government for 'weak' investigation into the sensitive cases, formercabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu has been demanding to make the SIT reportpublic.