Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday hit out at Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, accusing her of attempting to use the killing of a Sikh youth and the attack on Gurdwara Nankana Sahib in Pakistan to carry out her political battle against the Congress.
Referring to Ms. Harsimrat’s tweets in which she had sought to promote the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in the context of the persecution of minorities in Pakistan, and attacked the Punjab CM and the Indian National Congress leadership, Capt. Amarinder said, “This is the height of ignorance and stupidity.”
‘Minorities affected’
“The CAA, coupled with National Register for Citizens is the kind of tool with which minorities in India will be persecuted even more than those in Pakistan,” he said.
Capt. Amarinder added that it was apparent that the Union Minister had no clue about the implications of the CAA or the damage it will cause to India’s secular character, particularly in conjunction with the NRC.
‘Attacks indefensible’
Capt. Amarinder said that the brazen attacks on minorities, including Sikhs, in Pakistan were so appalling as to be indefensible. As if these attacks were not shocking enough, Ms. Harsimrat and the rest of the Akali leadership had stooped to a shocking low by using them to defend the CAA and target the Congress, he said in a statement.
The Chief Minister also accused SAD of “double-speak” on the issues of the CAA and the NRC, pointing out that just days ago, Akali chief Sukhbir Singh Badal had said that the minorities be included in the purview of the CAA.
‘Akali double-speak’
“Don’t they have any clear stand on the issue?” he asked. Capt. Amarinder added that such conflicting statements expose the double standards of the Akalis on this grave issue of national importance.
