Will fight Congress conspiracy against ex-CM: SAD

Chandigarh : The SAD on Friday said that the opposition party will fight the "conspiracy hatched by the ruling Congress" in league with radical groups to belittle SAD patron Parkash Singh Badal's contribution to Punjab and in particular the Sikh community.

The Congress was targeting the Sikh 'panth' and trying to divide the community as per its old policy of 'divide and rule' through a malicious and mischievous campaign against former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, said senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leaders Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Balwinder Singh Bhundar, Jathedar Tota Singh and Sewa Singh Sekhwan.

"Instead of pointing fingers at him, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh should tell why he was talking with the Centre on the eve of Operation Blue Star in 1984... Badal did not fall into his (Amarinder) trap and did not accompany him to Delhi," they added while referring to Amarinder Singh's claim on Tuesday that Badal was to be blamed for the Army operation in Harmandar Sahib in 1984.

They said that even a "biased and politicised" Ranjit Singh Commission set up to probe the sacrilege incidents and subsequent police firings in 2015 had failed to indict the senior Badal despite best attempts.

They said the retired Punjab and Haryana High Court Judge had noted in his report that the police told him that then CM Badal had given directions that the situation post- sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib and resultant protests be handled with sensitivity and that no one responsible for the sacrilege should be spared.

"We want to put on record that the Kotkapura dharna was lifted peacefully but there was the most unfortunate incident later at Behbal Kalan village in which two youths lost lives. In this case, 10 police officers were named in the FIR by the then SAD-BJP government but now six of them have been let off, including those related to Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) leaders," they added.