Akal Takht condemns police action on Sikh protesters

Amritsar: The supreme temporal body of Sikhs Akal Takht on Wednesday condemned the killing of two youth during the clash between Sikh protesters and police over alleged desecration of a holy book.

Akal Takht head Gurbachan Singh asked the Punjab government to take strict action against the "errant and wayward policemen" who clashed with the "peaceful" Sikh protesters at Faridkot.

He said that Sikhs could never tolerate the sacrilegious act wherein Guru Granth Sahib was shown disrespect.

It is the duty of the government to book and arrest the culprits before the situation goes out of control further, he said.

Two people were killed and 75 others, including an IGP, were injured as clashes rocked a number of places in Punjab, including Faridkot, Moga and Sangrur districts, over reports of desecration of a holy book.

The Sikh protesters had pitched their tents in Kotkapura town since Monday to protest against the alleged desecration of the holy book which was reportedly stolen from a gurdwara at Burj Jawahar Singh Wala village of Faridkot on June 1.