Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national executive committee member and MLA Manoranjan Kalia on Thursday asked Punjab Congress spokesman Sukhpal Singh Khaira to spell out his stand on Operation Bluestar first instead of having a dig at chief minister Parkash Singh Badal for demanding the Bharat Ratna for former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Khaira should also clarify whether views expressed by him are personal or on behalf of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee as the party spokesman, Kalia demanded.
Khaira had on Wednesday said that the BJP stalwart (Vajpayee) had hailed Operation Bluestar, the plank that the Akalis had been using to condemn the Congress. "Badal's demand to bestow the Bharat Ratna upon Vajpayee is unjustified, uncalled for and without logic from the Sikh point of view," Khaira had said.
Khaira had claimed that it was the BJP and its leadership which not only welcomed the army action at the Golden Temple but also took credit for building pressure upon then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to order the operation.
"On behalf of the Congress, PPCC president Partap Singh Bajwa should clarify whether he subscribes to the views expressed by the party spokesman (Khaira) on Operation Bluestar and the Anandpur Sahib resolution. If not, Bajwa should take disciplinary action against Khaira and expel him from the primary membership of the party," Kalia said.
The BJP leader advised Congress leaders that they should limit themselves to Punjab's issues and not mingle these with national issues .The demand for awarding the Bharat Ratna to Vajpayee has come from various political quarters.
{{/usCountry}}The BJP leader advised Congress leaders that they should limit themselves to Punjab's issues and not mingle these with national issues .The demand for awarding the Bharat Ratna to Vajpayee has come from various political quarters.
{{/usCountry}}