CHANDIGARH: The echoes of Jaipur incident of manhandling and chopping off hairs of a Sikh boy by certain miscreants were Tuesday heard in Punjab. The political parties and religious groups in Punjab have reacted strongly to the incident and demanded stern action against the culprits.

Shiromani Akali Dal(SAD) president Parkash Singh Badal has strongly condemned the incident and demanded immediate arrest of the culprits. He said that it was an attempt to disturb the peace of land. SAD is political alley of BJP which is in power in Rahasthan.

Shiromani Gurdawara Parbhandak Committee(SGPC) has formed a three member fact finding committe to investigate the incident. The committee is expected to visist Jaipur tomorrow and submit its report to SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar by the end of this week.

Punjab Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh has strongly condemned the Jaipur incident.Reacting to reports the Chief Minister said that the incident was disgraceful and a poor reflection of the Rajasthan government. Condemning the incident in strongest possible words, Capt. Singh demanded that the perpetrators of the crime should be immediately brought to book and dealt with sternly.

He said that the incident had also exposed the BJP government in Rajasthan as it had failed to protect the minorities in the state. Castigating the BJP for its communal and divisive agenda, Capt. Singh said that in all BJP ruled states the governments had generally failed to instill confidence amongst all communities, particularly the minorities.

He further said that Parkash Singh Badal led Shiromani Akali Dal was trying to give credibility to the BJP by aligning with them in Punjab. He said that even the secular credentials of Akalis were doubtful and their alliance with the BJP only proved that birds of the same feather flock together. "The Akali-BJP alliance shows that they both represent the same kind of mindset," he said.

Capt. Singh said that both the BJP and the Akalis were in cahoots and trying to harm the honour and pride of Sikh community, which has a cherished history of velour and sacrifices for the unity and integrity of the country. He cautioned the people against their nefarious designs and expressed confidence that the Sikhs would never allow these to succeed.