Punjab: After Golden Temple, Kapurthala man lynched over 'sacrilege'
A day after a man was beaten to death at the Golden Temple in Punjab's Amritsar, another man was lynched in Kapurthala over alleged sacrilege. Reportedly, an unidentified man was assaulted by an angry crowd of Sikhs after he allegedly disrespected the Nishan Sahib (a religious flag). A purported video of the incident has also gone viral.
Why does it matter?
Both killings have brought immense criticism toward the law and order situation in Punjab ahead of the assembly elections in the state next year. The ruling Indian National Congress in Punjab faces criticism for being too lenient in cases involving sacrilege. There have been several outrageous cases of sacrilege in Punjab in recent years.
Incident occurred in Kapurthala's Nijampur
Reportedly, the latest victim was apprehended by residents of Kapurthala's Nijampur village from a gurudwara over alleged sacrilege. A purported video showed a man being thrashed brutally by what appeared to be a stick. Reports said police had taken the Kapurthala victim into custody, however, the mob asked for him to be questioned in front of them.
Mob wanted to 'teach him a lesson'
Sikh groups demanded that the man be handed over to them so they can "teach him a lesson," The Indian Express reported. The angry crowd reportedly alleged that the Punjab government had not punished the accused in the 2015 Bargari sacrilege case, where the Guru Granth Sahib was desecrated. The mob reportedly clashed with cops and then killed the man with a sword.
What happened in Golden Temple?
Earlier on Saturday, a man was beaten to death after he jumped into the inner sanctum of the Golden Temple where the holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib, is kept. He was apprehended by members of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and worshippers. The police are looking at footage from all CCTV cameras to ascertain more details of the case.
