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Badals obstructing Parkash Purb celebrations: Amarinder
Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday lambasted Union leader Harsimrat Badal and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Badal for “deliberately putting
Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday lambasted Union leader Harsimrat Badal and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Badal for “deliberately putting obstacles” in the way of coordination between the state government and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) for joint celebrations of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak.
Talking to mediapersons on the sidelines of his road show in favour of Congress’ Dakha candidate Captain Sandep Sandhu here, the CM said three of his cabinet ministers had met the SGPC representatives on Tuesday morning and had an amicable discussion on the issue.
“Sukhbir and Harsimrat are trying to scuttle an amicable settlement of the issue at every step for their political gains,” said Amarinder while referring to the deadlock over the issue.
He added that the Akalis had always exploited religion for vested interests. “What kind of Akalis are these? Definitely, not the Taksali Akalis of the founding party,” The CM said.
Amarinder lashed out at Pakistan over the imposition of $20 fee on Indian pilgrims visiting Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, saying it tantamounts to putting a ticket on visiting the shrine. “How will the poor pilgrims pay this amount?” he asked.
He added, “The Sikh religion stands for `khulle darshan’ – an ideology that Pakistan seemed to be bent on violating.”
Amarinder also said he was not in favour of talks with Islamabad “till they stopped cross-border militancy and killing of Indian soldiers”.
SLAMS KEJRIWAL OVER
STUBBLE BURNING REMARKS
On Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s remarks blaming Punjab and Haryana for the high level of pollution in the national capital, Amarinder said Delhi had more pollution of its own than Haryana and Punjab put together.
He accused Kejriwal of trying to shift blame on other states to hide his own failures.
Earlier, Amarinder road show passed through various villages of Dakha.
Amid showering of flowers and raising of slogans by the people, Captain urged the electorate to vote for Sandeep Sandhu for a ‘new Dakha’. He described Sandhu as a committed worker who “has the welfare of the people close to his heart”.
The CM exuded confidence that the Congress will win all the four seats in the bypolls in the state.
Enthusiastic crowds, waving Congress flags and shouting slogans, greeted the CM’s convoy as it went through the crowded bazaars and areas of Allwal, Sidhwan Bet, Madarpura, Gorsian Makhan, Talwandi Kalan villages and Mullanpur town. Amarinder was accompanied by AICC general secretary in-charge of Punjab affairs Asha Kumari, cabinet ministers Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria and Bharat Bhushan Ashu, and local MP Ravneet Bittu.
