SAD to take on Cong conspiracy to belittle Badal’s contribution towards Sikh panth, Punjab

With its patron under attack from all sides for his alleged involvement in sacrilege and Behbal Kalan firing incidents, SAD on Friday declared to unitedly fight the “conspiracy” hatched by the Congress in league with radical groups to belittle former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s contribution towards the Sikh panth as well as Punjab.

Terming the recent attempts to tarnish the image of “longest serving legislator and five-time Chief Minister”, SAD’s senior leaders Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Balwinder Singh Bhundur, Tota Singh and Sewa Singh Sekhwan came together to allege that the Congress was targeting the Sikh community as well as trying to divide the community as per its old policy of divide and rule by leading a malicious and mischievous campaign against the senior Badal.

“Instead of pointing fingers at a towering personality who has been jailed for 16 years in the duty of the people, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh should tell why he was talking with the Centre on the eve of Operation Bluestar. The Chief Minister has also made it clear Badal did not fall into his trap and did not accompany him to Delhi,” they added.

The senior leaders said that it was on record that even the “biased and politicized” Justuce Ranjit Singh Commission, which had been rejected by the SAD, had failed to indict Badal despite its best attempts. “The retired judge had noted down in his report that the State police informed him that Badal had given directions that the situation post sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib and resultant protests be handled with sensitivity and that no one responsible for the sacrilege should be spared,” they pointed.

Dhindsa and Bhundur said: “We want to put on record that the Kotkapura dharna was lifted peacefully but there was a most unfortunate incident later at Behbal Kalan village in which two youth lost their precious lives.”

In this case, 10 police officers were named in the FIR by the SAD-BJP government but now six police officers have been let off including those related to Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) leaders, they added.

The leaders also asserted that Capt Amarinder had misled the august Vidhan Sabha by stating that SAD president Sukhbir Badal did not visit the families of two youth killed in the Behbal Kalan firing incident. “SAD president not only visited both families but they were also given financial compensation besides government jobs,” thy added.

Tota Singh and Sekhwan also condemned the Congress party for hatching a criminal conspiracy along with radical groups as well as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to attack SAD leaders through orchestrated protests.

“We will take this challenge head on by holding statewide protests in all 117 assembly constituencies tomorrow besides Pol Khol rally at Abohar on September 9,” they said.