Ludhiana, May 13: Pages of the holy Guru Granth Sahib were burnt to ashes after the entire Palki Sahib area in Punjab was engulfed in a blaze on Sunday. There was panic among residents as tension gripped Ludhiana’s Malerkotla’s Hathoa village after the incident. According to a report by Indian Express, the incident was reported at around 4 am on Sunday morning. As soon as the fire was reported, the granthi called out to the villages to douse the flames. Reports inform that the carpet inside the hall was burnt to ashes. Moreover, the roof, fans and other electrical gadgets were also being damaged. Punjab Cabinet Approves Life Imprisonment for Sacrilege of Religious Text.

According to the report, apart from the damages to the Gurdwara, the lock of the gurdwara was found broken, which makes it clear that someone had broken in to enter the hall and set it on fire. The area falls in the constituency of Razia Sultana, a Punjab Cabinet minister.

The Indian Express report quoted IG Patiala range A S Rai terming the incident as an unfortunate one. Rai said an FIR has been lodged with charges of hurting religious sentiments against unidentified persons. “We have taken the broken lock in our possession. Though it is being said that someone broke open the door of gurdwara to cause the fire, it is being investigated as to whether the lock was open or was locked on Saturday night”, Rai added.

The report further informs that the residents are waiting for police to complete their investigation. They claim that as elections are underway and counting is near, political parties are raising allegations against each other and in such a situation, political rivalry cannot be ruled out. Rai said that the team is investigating the matter and as of now, no political angle can be drawn. He also added saying that the police is examining as to whether it was a short circuit or someone planned it.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 13, 2019 04:19 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).