Sukhbir blames AAP for spurt in sacrilege cases

Ravi Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Gurdaspur, January 17

SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal today claimed that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had assured Sikh hardliners that the control of gurdwaras would be handed over to them once the party came to power.

Addressing gatherings at Sri Hargobindpur and Kahnuwan in favour of SAD candidates, Sukhbir said AAP’s rise as a party in Punjab had coincided with an increase in the number of incidents of sacrilege. “It happened because Kejriwal made an assurance to the hardliners. This, in turn, vitiated the atmosphere in the state,” he said.

Stating that only the SAD could preserve the heritage of the ‘qaum’, he added, “We have transformed the precincts around Harmandar Sahib in Amritsar. In contrast, the Congress ordered an attack on the shrine, while AAP hurt Sikh sentiments by disrespecting the Golden Temple.”