Sukhbir Badal’s comments against Arvind Kejriwal absurd: AAP

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday termed as “absurd” the comments made by SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal against its national convener Arvind Kejriwal over the sacrilege issue.

The reaction came a day after Sukhbir demanded that a case be registered against Kejriwal for “trying to procure a clean chit” for AAP leader Naresh Yadav, who was convicted by a court in a 2016 Quran desecration case.

AAP leader Baltej Pannu said Sukhbir was “getting restless” due to his political decline. “Unnerved by it, he is making absurd statements,” Pannu told reporters at the party office here.

The AAP leader said Sukhbir should apologise to the Sikhs for the 2015 sacrilege incidents, which had taken place when he was the deputy chief minister.

Pannu said in 1986, when the Guru Granth Sahib was desecrated in Nakodar, AAP didn’t even exist. “In that incident, four youths were killed in police firing. Justice Gurnam Singh investigated the matter but his report disappeared during the SAD government,” he said.

Pannu said two police officers’ names — Darbara Singh Guru and Mohammad Izhar Alam — had emerged in that incident. “Both were later promoted by the Akali government and after their retirement, they joined the party. They even contested elections. Sukhbir owes an explanation to people,” he added.