A day after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) tendered an apology for equating holy scriptures with its manifesto and also for publishing Golden Temple’s picture with its party symbol, broom, on manifesto’s cover, the party on Thursday said that the Badal and company are no one to reject it summarily.
Reacting to SAD’s “refusal” to accept AAP’s apology, the AAP said that it has tendered an unconditional apology to the Sikh Sangat for inadvertently and unintentionally hurting its religious sentiments either by the choice of words or by the cover design of the youth manifesto.
“Sikh Sangat is known for its kindheartedness and forgiveness,” said AAP spokesperson and senior leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira and party’s legal Cell head Himmat Singh Shergill, while addressing a joint press conference.
They said: “That is why our senior party leaders Ashish Khetan and Kanwar Sandhu have tendered an unconditional apology to the Sikh Sangat and not to the arrogant Badals who rejected the gesture only to politicise the issue.”
Khaira said that in fact, SAD leaders, who claim to be more panthic than anyone else, have degenerated Sikh institutions and also committed far more blasphemous acts during their nine and a half year rule in Punjab and never tendered an apology.
He recalled that during 2014 lok Sabha polls, Akali cabinet minister Bikram Majithia in his bid to eulogise BJP leader Arun Jaitley wrongly recited a ‘shabad’ (couplet) from the holy gurbani. “Though Majithia's act not only hurt the feelings of the Sikh masses but also created a huge controversy, the Punjab Police did not book Majithia under section 295A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC),” he said.
“If Majithia subsequently apologised for his blasphemous act, so did Ashish Khetan. But why Parkash Singh Badal led Government is adopting different yardsticks for Majithia and Khetan,” he said.
Similarly, Badal recently compared Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Baba Banda Singh Bahadur in a function in New Delhi. “Though Badal’s act deeply hurt the feelings of a large section of the Sikh masses who hold Baba Banda Singh Bahadur in great reverence but Punjab chief minister never felt the need to offer an apology,” said Khaira.
Khaira said that Badal-led Government has also exhibited double standards when Punjab Police booked AAP’s Delhi MlA Naresh Yadav on the mere complaint of an accused for desecrating holy Quran in Malerkotla. “When drug lord Jagdish Bhola named Majithia as the kingpin of multi-crore drug racket being run in Punjab in front of the entire media in Mohali, Badal said how could government act on mere allegation of an accused,” he pointed.
Khaira said that Badals, who claim to be panthic leaders, have been appointing senior police officers such as DGP Sumedh Singh Saini and former DGP Izhar Alam at top positions who were well known for being anti-Sikhs and were involved in fake encounters of several Sikh youths during the days of militancy in Punjab.
Khaira said that till date, SAD president Sukhbir Badal has not apologised for killing two innocent Sikhs in the Behbal Kalan police firing and for wrongly arresting two baptised Sikhs from Bargari village in case of sacrilege.
Shergill said that AAP would want Punjab officials, especially the police officers, not to indulge in anything illegal on the direction of the Badals to help them fulfil their vested political interests as the party was keeping a close watch on their conduct.
SAD, Cong politicising honest mistake: Brar
Reacting to the controversy surrounding the AAP youth manifesto, former MP Jagmeet Singh Brar on Thursday said: “It is unfortunate that an honest mistake is being manipulated for political benefit by both the Akalis and Congress.”
He said that the AAP’s entire senior leadership has apologised profusely on every medium and “as a Sikh, I feel the suggestion of Kanwar Sandhu and HS Phoolka to ask for forgiveness at Darbar Sahib is in line with the basic gracious nature of Sikhism”.
“Those who are flaring up the matter are themselves guilty of subverting the highest institutions of Sikhism and have hurt the religious sentiments of Punjab and Sikhs in particular repeatedly for petty political gains,” said Brar.
He added that Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal should resign as Home Minister for being unable to identify culprits of the desecration of Guru Granth Sahib “instead of hiding his failure behind a printing mistake”.
AAP announcement reflects poor mindset of its leadership: BADAl
Finally breaking is silence on the burning controversy, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Thursday said that the Aam Aadmi Party’s announcement to equate their election manifesto with sacred granths has deeply bruised the psyche of every countrymen.
“This announcement of AAP reflects the poor mindset of its leadership,” said Badal.
He said that the apology being offered by AAP leaders on this issue was of no use as it could not undo the damage done by them.
Union Minister and SAD MP from Bathinda Harsimrat Kaur Badal stated that in Punjab’s political arena, “AAP is just a non-serious fly-by-night political outfit, which has been hurting religious sentiments of every religion for the sake of votes”.
Harsimrat, while speaking with the media in Mansa on the sidelines of an event, warned the people of Punjab to beware of the destructive agenda of this political party, which has recently committed a most heinous crime by affixing their political symbol of broom on the picture of the most revered the Golden Temple.
“These people are just out there to hurt the religious sentiments of the people and to create the religious discord among the people of Punjab,” she said.