Amritpal Singh Centre’s nominee: Sukhbir Badal

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 15

SAD president Sukhbir Badal has termed the entry of Waris Punjab De head Amritpal Singh in the Khadoor Sahib poll fray a conspiracy by the Centre.

Addressing a gathering at Jandiala and Baba Bakala in favour of party candidate Virsa Singh Valtoha, Badal asked people to evaluate before making their decision.

Move to counter SAD

What other explanation could there be that a person, who was first propped up, then arrested and kept in a safe custody only to be used as a candidate in the elections to counter the popularity of SAD. Sukhbir Badal, SAD

He said, “What other explanation could there be that a person, who was first propped up, then arrested and kept in a safe custody only to be used as a candidate in the elections to counter the popularity of SAD. How could a person, who acquires ‘Sikh saroop’, wears a ‘chola’ and partakes of ‘amrit’ one year back, represent the Panth against a candidate who has the backing of the 103-year-old party to safeguard the Panthic values. It is for the people to evaluate,” he said.

He also pointed out the dichotomy in Amritpal’s earlier stand that he would never enter politics and only be interested in ‘amrit parchar’ and fighting the drug menace. “Amritpal was facilitated to file his nomination papers despite being in jail under the NSA in Dibrugarh,” he said.

Recalling his father Parkash Singh Badal and other Akali leaders’ jail term, comparing it with Amritpal’s span of little over a year, he said, “Our family did not hold dharnas to free Parkash Singh Badal when he had been in jail for 16 years. Akali leaders courted arrest and never ran to avoid being caught as was done by Amritpal. He is contesting elections to set himself free, little bothering about other Bandi Singhs. We are in touch with the families of other Bandi Singhs and SAD stood for their release”, he said.

He also appealed to the electorate to recall that voting would take place on June 1, the same day when the Congress attacked the Golden Temple complex with tanks and mortars in 1984. He said the Sikhs should also remember the manner in which their brethren were massacred in Delhi and elsewhere under a Congress-sponsored programme.

Speaking about the BJP, he said, “It is losing the elections. Forget securing 400, it won’t be able to secure 200 seats.”

Later, he also held rallies in Attari, Amritsar (West) and Amritsar (South) in favour of the party’s Amritsar candidate Anil Joshi.

Meanwhile, Baljit Singh Jalalusma, Satinderjit Singh Chajjalwaddi, Gulzar Singh Ranike, Surjit Singh Pehlwan and Gurpreet Singh Randhawa also addressed the gatherings.

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