A day after Punjab deputy CM Sukhbir Badal accused Congress of playing a “big role” behind ‘Sarbat Khalsa’, the ruling SAD on Saturday asked Rahul Gandhi to take action against its party members for “masterminding and giving directions” in organising the congregation.
During a press conference, the SAD leaders also played conversation transcripts purportedly of certain Congress leaders allegedly in conversation with a senior leader of Sikh hardline group United Akali Dal, and assuring him to mobilize crowd for the congregation.
Punjab Education minister and senior SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema said that “Congress party’s senior leaders participated and masterminded holding of the Sarbat Khalsa on November 10. They gave directions in the congregation for passing the resolutions and bringing people.”
“We demand from Rahul Gandhi what action he will take against his party leaders who are hell bent upon disturbing peace and communal harmony in the State,” he said while addressing a press conference here today.
However, Congress Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha Amarinder Singh on Saturday rejected the SAD’s allegations of Congress’ hand in organising the ‘Sarbat Khalsa’ (congregation of Sikhs) at Chabba.
Strongly hitting out at the Congress, Mr. Cheema said that the party high command must explain to the country why it is maintaining a “conspiratorial silence” over its brazen participation in the Chabba function in broad daylight.
When asked from where this transcript was sourced, Mr. Cheema said this purported transcript was available on social media, and denied that the phones had been tapped by the government.
“This recording is available on social media,” he said, adding that the State government could get it verified, if the need arose.
“Let them first deny that this is not their voice,” the Akali leader said.
“Senior and elected representatives of the Congress party, holding responsible positions in the organisation, were not merely a party to the planning, organisation and conduct of the function at the November 10 function, but also brazenly attended the same and even delivered speeches endorsing the proceedings from the stage,” he alleged.
Mr. Cheema also asked Congress to explain if it intends to “thank” Wadhawa Singh, the chief of militant outfit Babbar Khalsa International based in Pakistan, whose message of congratulations was read out at ‘Sarbat Khalsa’
“The SAD-BJP government has taken this incident very seriously. We will not be vindictive, but will take action whosoever is involved in disturbing peace and communal harmony in the state,” he said.
However, Mr. Cheema said if there is any lapse in terms of intelligence failure, the State government would look into it.
The SAD leader also hit out at Punjab Pradesh Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa for trying to absolve party leaders. “You should not try to shield your partymen,” he said.
On Saturday, Bajwa had challenged Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal to prove the involvement of the Congress in the November 10 ‘Sarbat Khalsa’ or quit politics.
Meanwhile, Amarinder Singh asked Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to “come out of his hibernation and break his self-imposed vow of silence”, claiming that the CM had again let down the State “by virtually running away from the situation and leaving his second rung leaders to defend him and his government.”
Referring to the purported phone recordings claimed to be those of Congress leaders, Amarinder in a statement said that “these are totally concocted and our leaders have already rejected these allegations”.
At the same time, he asked: “By claiming to be in possession of the telephone recordings of our leaders, hasn’t the government admitted that it has been tapping the telephones of political opponents which is a serious criminal offence?”
Otherwise, he added, how come they are in possession of these recordings?
“It is high time Mr. Badal comes out of the hiding and hibernation and owns up what is happening around as he happens to be the Chief Minister of the State,” he remarked, while criticising the “continued silence” of the Chief Minister when the state was passing through such a sensitive stage.
The former Chief Minister in a statement said: “It was so characteristic of Mr. Badal to push the situation to the brink and run away himself and go into hiding.”
“And he is precisely repeating the same thing now,” Capt. Singh, the Amritsar MP remarked, adding, “just because he does not have the option to run away as he happens to be the Chief Minister, he has timidly gone into hiding and is avoiding the public”.
Capt. Amarinder Singh reminded CM Badal that he has always been boasting about his love to be seen among the people.
“But strangely you have chosen to hide when your response and appearance as the head of the government is required the most,” he said.
“You have often claimed to love to be among the people, how come you have gone into such a long mode of isolation,” he asked Mr. Badal, while adding, “why not hold a Sangat Darshan now, when it is required the most“.
Taking a jibe at Mr. Badal’s Sangat Darshan, he said: “As I have often maintained that those Sangat Darshans were only his favourite pastime without any purpose or intention of helping people and he (Mr Badal) is proving me right”.
Meanwhile, on radical leaders’ call of gheraoing ministers and Akali MLAs on Saturday, Punjab Education Minister Daljit Singh Cheema said that the State government had no objection if the protests were held in democratic way.
“If protests are organised in democratic way and peaceful manner, then the State government has no objection,” he said.
“But if anybody indulges in violence and tries to disturb peace, the government will certainly take action,” he further said.
Sikh hardline leaders had threatened to gherao ministers and MLAs if the resolutions that were passed at Bargari in Faridkot on October 25, were not implemented by November 15.
Among the resolutions, they had demanded that the guilty of sacrilege incidents be identified at the earliest and action initiated against the officers involved in the firing incident that resulted in the death of two youths on October 14. - PTI
