Badal calls Cong 'No. 1 enemy of Sikhs', AAP 'frustrated lot'

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today launched a scathing attack on Congress calling it the "number one enemy of Sikhs" and dismissed AAP as a "frustrated lot of novices" who have "failed" in Delhi.

Badal also alleged that some "irresponsible" political leaders were "hell bent" upon dividing the people on sectarian lines and "disintegrating" the country with the sole motive of pursuing their narrow vested interests.

He was addressing a gathering after paying tributes on Martyrdom Day of Fateh Singh and Zoravar Singh - the younger Sahibzadas of 10th Sikh Guru Gobind Singh -- during the state- level Shaheedi Conference here.

Badal said, "The country, especially Punjab, was not in a position to bear the pangs of such turmoil anymore as it had already passed through turbulent times during Partition..."

Branding Congress as "number one enemy of Sikhs", the chief minister said it was an established fact that it had done lot of "injustice" to the state by depriving it of its capital, legitimate share in river waters, and Punjabi speaking areas.

He said Congress had inflicted a "deep wound" on the Sikh psyche by attacking the Golden Temple and by "killing thousands of innocent Sikhs" during the 1984 riots.

Badal said that the Congress was solely responsible for decade-long militancy in the state in which more than 21,000 people were killed and thus the state's economy was derailed beyond anyone's imagination.

He also said anyone who joined hands with the Congress would be equally responsible for its "misdeeds and conspiracies" and would ultimately put a seal of his approval on the raids on 'Harmandar Sahib' in Amritsar.

On the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the chief minister said it was a "frustrated lot of novices" which has already been rejected by the people and that its Delhi "model of administrative failure" was a proof of its inability to handle state affairs.

He advised the people to consider whether a party was capable to fulfil their needs and aspirations before supporting it as, he said, lending support to any political party tantamount to handing over their "destiny" to them for which they had to "repent" later for any "unwise" decision.

He said his Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) was well versed with the problems of the people of the state and its ground realities, whereas Congress and AAP were not even remotely concerned about the "hardships" being faced by the people. 

The chief minister said leaders like state Congress chief Amarinder Singh, AAP's Sucha Singh Chottepur and Sukhpal Khaira, who recently left Congress to join AAP, were "habitual turncoats" and their sole aim was to pursue politics of "opportunism".

Badal said their loyalty to their respective parties was the least consideration for them and the moment they were denied some position or an election ticket, they care two hoots for it.

In a lighter vein, he said, "...If I leave my party I am sure tomorrow no one will say hello or offer a cup of tea to me."

Attacking the Punjab Congress president, Badal said Amarinder left SAD as he too was denied an election ticket because he didn't fulfil the prescribed criteria.

Badal said, "When he enquired from Amarinder whether he had ever been to jail or participated any religious or 'panthic morcha', Amarinder replied in the negative saying he was Maharaja and such activities were never a part of their lifestyle or upbringing."

He attacked the Congress over the Army raids on Sri Darbar Sahib, "the most revered shrine which was far dearer to them (Sikhs) than their own lives", and said it could never be wiped out from the psyche of Sikhs.

The chief minister said he was duty bound to preserve peace, communal harmony, amity and brotherhood in the state till his last breath since these were the basic ingredients of development, progress and prosperity and that he would never compromise to safeguard these supreme values.

He appealed to the people to thwart the "anti-national designs" for the sake of preserving national integrity, peace and brotherhood, and said the Punjabis had already paid a heavy price for decade-long militancy in the state which had ruined it economically due to mass exodus of industry.

Badal said the SAD-BJP alliance government had ensured "unprecedented development" in every front, be it agriculture, industry, infrastructure, and the prosperity and welfare of all sections of the society.

Later, Badal said the Punjab Cabinet would soon take a decision to rename the holy cities of Fatehgarh Sahib and Anandpur Sahib as Sri Fatehgarh Sahib and Sri Anandpur Sahib.

He also said construction works for Baba Zoravar Singh Baba Fateh Singh Memorial Stadium would start soon.