Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Friday asked Punjab Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh not to try to find scapegoats after realising that he would be presiding over a flop show at his “coronation” in Bathinda on December 15.
“You have already taken the route of threat and intimidation and even urged the people to beat up Akalis with sticks during the run up to the last assembly election. You met with outright rejection from the people. Please do not go on the same path again. Please desist from threatening Government officials,” said SAD MP Prem Singh Chandumajra.
Chandumajra said that the recent meetings held to mobilise people for party’s Bathinda rally had witnessed intense factional fighting. “Due to this, as well as the absence of the Congress at the grass root level for nearly nine years now, the party is finding it extremely difficult to collect people for its rally on December 15. It is because of this that Amarinder has started crying wolf and wants to blame the failure of his rally on Government officials,” he said.
SAD also reminded Amarinder of his own boasts when he announced that he would hold an even bigger rally than the Sadbhavana rally organised by the SAD at Bathinda on November 23. “Despite the fact that the Congress had announced a state rally in direct contrast to the four district show of the SAD, it is already panicking as its managers are forecasting a dismal response from the people,” he said.
Chandumajra said besides this, the SAD Sadbhavana rally on December 15 at Patiala would be a true barometer of the popularity of the Punjab Congress chief. “The success of SAD rally in Amarinder’s hometown would liberate the people from bondage of former royal family which still considered the area as its riyasat,” he said.
Pointing that Capt Amarinder had not given any specific instance of misconduct by government officials, Chandumajra asked him to approach the concerned Deputy Commissioners in case of any complaint to ensure it was resolved rather than indulging in crying wolf tactics aimed solely at warding off humiliation upon the failure of the party’s Bathinda rally.