Sukhbir tells Amarinder: Expel Cong leaders who attended Sarbat Khalsa

Sanjeev Singh Bariana

Tribune News Service

Moga, November 28

A day after Capt Amarinder Singh was named Punjab Congress president, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Badal today sought to relate him as well as Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi with hardline Sikh politics.

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Addressing the second ‘Sadbhavna Rally’ in the city, the Punjab Deputy Chief Minister said in case Capt Amarinder did not expel from the party within two days the Congress leaders who had participated in the Sarbat Khalsa at Chabba (near Amritsar), it would become obvious that the exercise had been carried out at Rahul’s behest.

Sukhbir named Ramanjit Sikki, Inderjit Singh Zira, Harmanjit Gill and Lalli Majithia as the Congress leaders who had attended the Sarbat Khalsa. “The Congress needs to clarify its stand on why these leaders attended an event organised by anti-national forces,” he said.

The Akali Dal president said Capt Amarinder may be the “biggest lion of the Congress, but he had gone too old and had no bite left in him”. “Amarinder only roars... He has attempted twice to establish his presence against the SAD, but failed miserably,” he said.

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal also took a dig at the Congress leader: “Amarinder introduced the politics of confrontation in Punjab. But his meaningless utterances have no meaning for the people.”

Badal said he would not let the state’s hard-earned peace be disturbed. “I am even willing to sacrifice my life to safeguard it,” he said.

Tarun Chugh, BJP national secretary, too attacked the Congress on the alleged participation of its leaders in the November 10 Sarbat Khalsa. “Capt Amarinder must explain what Sikki, Lalli and his other party colleagues were doing at an event spearheaded by separatists… The Congress leadership, who claim to be the guardians of the Constitution, stands exposed… The role of Aam Aadmi Party leaders too is questionable,” he said.

The gathering at today’s event appeared lesser than the Bathinda rally on Monday. However, there was a sizable number on the roads outside the Grain Market, which affected traffic on the main road. Barring Sukhbir, who claimed the Moga rally surpassed Bathinda in terms of participation, a majority of the speakers avoided raising the issue. “The response is bound to be mild. After all, it is the second rally within a week,” said a senior Akali spokesperson. 

Punjab ministers Parminder Dhindsa and Janmeja Singh Sekhon and Rajya Sabha MP Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa were among those present.