Shiromani Akali Dal on Sunday held the slain Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and his coterie “directly responsible” for the betrayal and assassination of Akali Dal’s former chief Sant Harchand Singh longowal.
“Captain Amarinder Singh, a close confidant of Rajiv Gandhi and of the entire Gandhi family, was Rajiv's accomplice in whatever happened during those days,” said SAD general secretary and party MP Balwinder Singh Bhunder.
He said: “Rajiv Gandhi betrayed a saintly soul. He made a sacred commitment to transfer Chandigarh to Punjab and solve other issues of the Sikhs as per the nationally and internationally accepted norms and conventions. This was a well-planned act of treachery against a saint by the then Prime Minister who was also responsible for the massacre of thousands of innocent Sikhs. Captain Singh should explain his role in the tragedy.”
“There is historical irony in Rajiv Gandhi's birthday and Sant ji martyrdom day falling on the same day, August 20. This is history's revenge against Rajiv Gandhi for his betrayal of an innocent and saintly soul,” said Bhunder.
Bhunder said that Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh had been sent into Akali Dal “under a deep conspiracy” to ensure to persuade Sant ji to agree to the Accord which Rajiv never intended to honour.
Capt Amarinder was rewarded with the number three position in the Barnala government as Agriculture Minister for his services to his masters against the Sikhs, he said.
“Sant ji was betrayed by Rajiv and Capt Amarinder was a part of this pre-planned betrayal and assassination of Sant ji,” said Bhunder.
Referring to Capt Amarinder’s statement against Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Bhunder said that Badal had cautioned the party and the Punjabis at that time about saying that the Centre would betray Sant ji and never honour the Accord.
“Badal proved to be right, as Rajiv Gandhi backed out of his commitment refusing to transfer Chandigarh to Punjab on January 25-26, 1986, even after the cards for the transfer ceremony scheduled for the next morning had been sent out. This was a shocking act of betrayal. It vindicated Badal’s note of caution,” he said.
Bhunder recalled that Sant ji had a most cordial meeting with Badal and Jathedar Gurcharan Singh Tohra at Badal's residence in Chandigarh on August 20, 1985. “He blessed Badal and Tohra and addressed a press conference along with the two leaders before proceeding to Sangrur. Within hours of this meeting, Sant ji was assassinated the same day,” he said, adding that the “strange coincidence” was never probed. Who killed Santji and why it happened within hours of his most cordial meeting with Mr Badal and Mr TohraIJ
“Capt Amarinder should explain why the Government of which he was a powerful part then did not investigate this factIJ What were he and Rajiv trying to hide through this cover upIJ There were insinuations in many quarters at that time that Sant ji had been assassinated by the very people who did not want Badal, Tohra and Sant ji to remain together,” he said, adding that they also did not want to honour the Accord signed with Sant longowal.
Asking Capt Amarinder to “come clean on his own role during this tragic chapter”, Bhunder said that the circumstances surrounding his death still remain a mystery which Captain should explain because he was a powerful minister in the Government that was formed on the blood of Santji.