Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said it was the responsibility of Punjab government to arrest the "real culprits" behind the incidents. (Press Trust of India photo)
Terming the alleged incidents of desecration of holy books as painful, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today said it was a "willful act" to disturb Punjab as he prayed at the Golden Temple for the "return of peace" in the state.
It "is unfortunate and painful. It seems it is a willful act by somebody who wanted to disturb peace in the state," Mr Kejriwal told reporters after he arrived on his first visit to Punjab after becoming the Chief Minister in February and was set to meet families of two Sikhs killed in police firing during anti-desecration protests at Faridkot.
The AAP leader condemned police action, saying it was wrong to use force against people who were protesting peacefully against acts of sacrilege.
Mr Kejriwal said it was the responsibility of Punjab government to arrest the "real culprits" behind the incidents of desecration of holy books, saying no innocent person should be slapped with "false cases".
He refused to answer more queries, saying he was in the state to pray for peace.
"Golden Temple has great spiritual power and I prayed before the Almighty for early peace and normalcy to get rid of current turmoil in Punjab," he said after paying obeisance at the Sikh shrine.
His visit to Punjab assumes significance as AAP is eyeing the 2017 Assembly polls and has re-structured its unit in the state, where it won its four seats in the last Lok Sabaha elections. The fledgling AAP recently suspended two of the lawmakers for "anti-party" activities.
While paying obeisance at the Sanctum Sanctorum of the Golden Temple, Mr Kejriwal preferred to go inside along with other devotees, ignoring the VIP passage.
Thereafter, he also paid obeisance in front of Akal Takht (the highest Sikh Temporal Seat).
Earlier, before entering Golden Temple, he was he was honoured with Siropa (robe of honour) and presented a set of Sikh religious books at the information centre. However, he did not register his visit in the visitors' book of the shrine.
After paying obeisance, he went to Kotkapura by road to meet families of two persons who were killed in police firing.
The alleged incidents of sacrilege took place at seven villages in the state in the recent past plunging the state into turmoil with Sikh protesters blocking highways and other key roads.
The police have so far arrested six people, mostly working in Sikh shrines, in connection with the sacrilege incidents.
The Punjab police has alleged "foreign hand" behind the incidents of sacrilege even as the Centre has sought a report from the Punjab government on the matter.