JALANDHAR: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) said on Monday that Punjab government mishandled the issue of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib and its aftermath in Faridkot district.

Addressing a press conference here at local RSS headquarters, outfit's Prant Seh Sangh Chalak (state vice-president) Brigadier Jagdish Gagneja (retd) said that the prevailing situation in Punjab was arising out of the mismanagement of the matter.

"Had the government handled Bargari incident properly, situation would have been different," he said while responding to a query. The press conference was called to give details of recent decisions taken in the national executive of RSS at Ranchi.

Asked if he also held BJP responsible for it, Brig Gagneja said that he was speaking about the state government without differentiating among parties. He said that RSS had passed a resolution in its national executive condemning the sacrilege incidents as the organization considered that respect for Guru Granth Sahib was a matter of religious pride not only for the Sikhs but for the entire country.

"We appeal to the state government to resolve the issue and ensure that forces, which wanted to disturb the state, exposed," he said, adding, "RSS feels deep pain on these incidents."

Brig Gagneja said that their base had expanded in villages and they could reach out to 3,000 more villages in Punjab in the next few months.

