SAD trying to divert people’s attention from Bargari issue: Randhawa

Chandigarh, October 22: The senior Congress leader and Cabinet Minister, Punjab, S. Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa has launched a scathing attack on the Shiormani Akali Dal (SAD) leadership especially its President Sukhbir Singh Badal and his father former CM Parkash Singh Badal & said that the SAD President is trying to divert the people’s attention from the Bargari issue and turmoil in SAD by taking shield of 1984 riots.

In a statement here today, S. Randhawa said that by diverting attention from Bargari incident, Sukhbir is “rubbing salt into the wounds” of the Sikh community. Attacking SAD, S. Randhawa said that SAD didn’t nothing for 1984 riots victims except sensationalizing the tragic events for its narrow political gains.

Listing the steps taken by the Congress after the riots, the minister dared the SAD to state what its partner BJP did after the 2002 riots in Gujarat.

Regarding the 1984 riots, the Minister said “The Congress party from this forum and all over the country at least a thousand times has condemned that tragic episode, calling it the most sordid event, condemned it and never in the remotest sense directly or indirectly supported it. Even the Prime Minister of that time had apologised,” he said. Elaborating more, he said that a large number have faced criminal prosecution, some have been convicted, some are pending but the Congress has never interfered.

The Minister said that when the riots broke out Sukhbir Singh Badal was in California in a University and Bikram Singh Majithia was only 8 years old. He said that underfire from public and also from within party, Sukhbir and his father, is again playing the 84 card to divert attention to save their own skin as their actual anti-panthic face of the SAD has been fully exposed in the wake of the Justice Ranjit Singh commission report. He also said that Sukhbir should resign from post of the SAD president by taking moral responsiblity of Bargari incident as he was the Home Minister at that time.

Taking the SAD President further to task, S. Randhawa said that at present Harsimrat Kaur Badal is a Union Minister while the SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal also remained a member of the cabinet headed by Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Why didn’t the SAD raised the issues pertaining to the Sikhs and Punjab then, questioned the congress leader. He also dared the SAD leadership to hold a protest in front of Narendra Modi for latters’s failure in handing over Chandigarh to Punjab.

The Congress leader further said the SAD should ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was Gujarat Chief Minister in 2002, and BJP president Amit Shah that what had they both done after the riots in Gujarat and compare it with what the Congress did after 1984.