HS Phoolka says will never contest polls, asks Sidhu to resign too over Bargari - Hindustan Times
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HS Phoolka says will never contest polls, asks Sidhu to resign too over Bargari

Chandigarh | By
Aug 11, 2019 01:07 AM IST

The Supreme Court lawyer had resigned as an MLA in October last year over Punjab government’s alleged inaction on the Justice Ranjit Singh Commission report on sacrilege and police firing incidents of 2015.

A day after his resignation as the Dakha MLA was accepted by Punjab assembly speaker Rana KP Singh, former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator HS Phoolka on Saturday said he would never contest an election but would continue to fight as a social activist.

Former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator HS Phoolka on Saturday said he would never contest an election but would continue to fight as a social activist. Sanjeev Sharma/Hindustan Times
Former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator HS Phoolka on Saturday said he would never contest an election but would continue to fight as a social activist. Sanjeev Sharma/Hindustan Times

The Supreme Court lawyer had resigned as an MLA in October last year over Punjab government’s alleged inaction on the Justice Ranjit Singh Commission report on sacrilege and police firing incidents of 2015.

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Addressing a press conference in Chandigarh, Phoolka said he could not have continued as an MLA and be a mute spectator to the “drama between the government and Badals”. He said many are questioning why he quit rather than cornering the government sitting inside the House. “Have the ministers and MLAs who are still sitting in the House been able to ensure justice? I asked the five ministers who were vocal on Bargari in the House to resign too. Navjot Singh Sidhu went down on his knees in the Punjab House asking CM to punish those guilty of sacrilege. He later resigned as minister over change in his portfolio but not Bargari. He should now quit as MLA also over the Congress government enacting the drama of recalling cases from CBI in the House,” Phoolka said.

He alleged that the government was trying to give the Justice Ranjit Singh Commission report on sacrilege a quiet burial. “The Badals are again acting as custodians of the Sikh faith. The closure report of the CBI has raised serious questions over the government’s intent,” he added.

Phoolka appealed to MLAs who had raised the issue to show courage and resign from the Punjab Vidhan Sabha. “MLAs Ramanjit Singh Sikki, Harminder Singh Gill, Simarjeet Bains, Balwinder Bains and Sukhpal Khaira were vocal on the issue. They should quit too. Only multiple resignations would force the government to act against the culprits,” he said.

Phoolka’s resignation was accepted by the speaker five days after he had threatened to move the Supreme Court if no decision was taken on it. The speaker, who had said it was not in the prescribed one-line format, accepted his third resignation letter submitted on August 4. The election to Dakha seat will be notified along with Phagwara and Jalalabad seats, which fell vacant as sitting legislators Som Prakash and Sukhbir Singh Badal were elected to the Lok Sabha.

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