Punjab’s religious heads get VIP tag

CHANDIGARH: Punjab chief minister, Prakash Singh Badal could have just set the cat among the pigeons.

The core issue here is the humble red beacon found on vehicles largely meant for politicians and cops. The Punjab CM has now extended this to religion.

On Friday, he announced that the 185 elected members of the Sikh religious body, Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) would be allowed to have the beacon flickering on their vehicles. In addition, two fulltime bodyguards would accompany them.

Non-Sikh bodies like the Arya Samaj were quick to react and demanded this privilege be extended to Hindu religious figures too.

A cornered Badal had no choice but to oblige and speculation is rife that Muslim leaders and hundreds of Dera babas have now joined the chorus. This will give them the VIP status that comes along with the red beacon and armed bodyguards.

However, police agencies are alarmed. “With growing security threat after the Ludhiana blast, there was no need to offer special status to so many people. Blatant misuse of the red beacon is not uncommon in Punjab,” said a senior intelligence official.