Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday questioned Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on tacit support given by SAD to Congress party in fight against AAP.
AAP’s campaign committee chairman Bhagwant Mann attacked Badal and his deputy son Sukhbir Badal for “hobnobbing” with Congress and targeting AAP for sacrilege of holy Guru Granth Sahib. “Sukhbir Badal is home minister of state and he is directly involved in the sacrilege incidents. Before accusing AAP, he should explain why he didn’t arrest the guilty,” Mann asked.
Taking a dig at Sukhbir, Mann said that Sukhbir had vomited truth in his election meetings, though in a slip of tongue. “In Moga district a day before, Sukhbir said that SAD was involved in sacrilege incidents and also responsible for disturbing peace in Punjab. last week, he had told the audience in Amritsar that he wanted to make Amritsar most dirty city…Either it was his guilt conscience or influence of drugs,” he said.
Mann said that when first incident of sacrilege was committed in Bargari, Sukhbir had blamed ISI of Pakistan and German intelligence agency for the act. “Sometimes, he thinks Russia might be behind the sacrilege. lately, he realized that AAP was the real culprit,” he said. He added, “Sukhbir has been changing his statements according to political convenience and recently, he has also named Congress along with AAP to hide his bonhomie with the Congress.”
Mann accused the senior Badal for allowing Sukhbir Badal and Bikram Majithia to flourish their illicit drug trade and illegal mining business. He asked Badal why he was silent spectator to the corruption by his family members in the cabinet and other ministers.
The government was virtually run by Sukhbir Badal and Bikram Majithia and Badal was used as stamp to issue clean chits to the corrupt minister, Mann alleged.
He said that Badal must explain his compulsions to support Congress candidates on seats where SAD is on weak wicket. “SAD and Congress had fought several elections blaming each other enemy of Punjab and surprisingly both these parties have now joined hands against AAP. Fear of AAP has exposed their unholy nexus,” he said.
“The blood of Congress party flows in the veins of Badal family. If former BJP MP Navjot Sidhu, who worked with BJP for 15 years, can claim he is born Congressman. Then it is birth right of Badal to be loyal to Congress as he had won his first election in 1957 on Congress party ticket,” he added.