Punjab Cong, SAD-BJP to hold parallel rallies on Dec 13

Chandigarh/Gurdaspur, December 1

Punjab is set to witness show of strength as the opposition Congress and ruling SAD-BJP combine are set to hold parallel rallies on December 13.

While newly appointed Punjab Congress Chief Amarinder Singh’s coronation will take place at the Congress rally in Bathinda, the bastion of Badal family, SAD-BJP will hold parallel rally at Patiala in front of private house Moti Bagh Palace of former Chief minister.

At today’s Gurdaspur rally, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal announced the SAD would respond to the December 13 Congress rally in a befitting manner by holding a “mammoth rally” on the same day in Patiala.

However, unfazed by the gatherings at the SAD-BJP rallies, Amarinder Singh welcomed the Badals to hold a rally at Patiala.

“The Badals were trying to convey the impression as if Patiala belongs to me and Bathinda belongs to them, which is not the case. For me whole of Punjab is my homeland and unlike the Badals, I don’t distinguish between or discriminate against any area,” Amarinder said.

Amarinder’s home constituency is Patiala even though he had won the last Lok Sabha poll from Amritsar Parliamentary seat.

Accepting Sukhbir’s challenge, Amarinder said “let me assure you, it will be a fight to the finish till you are completely chased out of Punjab.”

Addressing the third ‘Sadhbhavna Rally’ in Gurdaspur, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said the SAD-BJP government was ready to make any sacrifice for ensuring peace, harmony and brotherhood in Punjab.

“I am ready to make any sacrifice...each drop of my blood for peace, amity and brotherhood in the state,” Badal said.

“Punjabis have given a lot to the Badal family and if people want our blood for peace we are ready to do so,” he said.

Reacting to the Congress’ charge that Akalis had gone into hiding when incidents of sacrileges were being reported, Badal said, “I was shocked by the developments... I was deeply hurt and did not have the courage to come out of house.” Peace and communal harmony will be maintained in the state at any cost, he said.

The Congress wants to bring back the “dark days of 1984” in Punjab and disturb peace in the state for “political benefit”.

“We (SAD-BJP) don’t want those dark days back in Punjab at any cost,” he said.

Earlier, addressing the gathering, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal termed the Congress as “anti-national” party.

“The Congress is an anti-national party and wants to divide the country,” he said.

He also termed the Gandhi family as “anti-Sikh”.

“Indira Gandhi (the then Prime Minister) sent tanks to the Golden Temple. Rajiv Gandhi (the then Prime Minister) was responsible for massacre of Sikhs. Now the Congress wants to put Punjab aflame again,” he said.

He said the Akali Dal was not the “personal property” of Parkash Singh Badal or Sukhbir Singh Badal.

On the drug menace, he said it comes from Afghanistan and Pakistan and “we are fighting the nation’s fight against drugs”.

He said Parkash Singh Badal has devoted his entire life to amity and harmony and “entire development of Punjab has taken place under him”.

Meanwhile, Gurdaspur MP Vinod Khanna remained conspicuous by his absence.

A senior BJP leader from Pathankot said BJP workers are unhappy with Khanna’s perpetual absence from the constituency. “The MP has not brought a single big ticket project to the constituency,” he said.

However, Khanna’s close aide Dr Samrendra Sharma claimed that the filmstar is not keeping well for quite some time and is recuperating at his Mumbai residence. “He went abroad for treatment and is now recuperating at home. He will be back among party workers soon.”

Gurdaspur District BJP president Romesh Sharma confirmed that the rally organisers had sent him an invite at his Pathankot office.

Among others, those present on the occasion included BJP national secretary Tarun Chugh and state BJP chief Kamal Sharma. — PTI/TNS