Punjab Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday claimed that there was a subtle understanding between the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).
He said this was the reason why the BSP was not aligning with the Congress as it wanted to help Sukhbir Badal-led SAD by fielding candidates in all 117 assembly segments across Punjab, which goes to polls early next year.
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Talking to reporters along the sidelines of a function to mark the 125th birth anniversary of BR Ambedkar in Kapurthala, the former Punjab chief minister said, “Despite the sincere efforts of me and my party, the BSP did not reciprocate for the reasons best known to it.”
However, he added, “Some of the BSP leaders, who have recently joined the Congress, told me that there was clear understanding between the senior state and central BSP leadership and the Akalis and Sukhbir.”
The PCC president recalled the contribution of Dr Ambedkar in drafting the Constitution, saying it is one of the best in the world.
The Amritsar MP welcomed the pruning of a blacklist maintained by the Centre imposing visa restrictions on Sikhs settled abroad. Replying to a question on dropping several names from the blacklist, he said, it was a welcome move and he had always advocated it.
{{/usCountry}}The Amritsar MP welcomed the pruning of a blacklist maintained by the Centre imposing visa restrictions on Sikhs settled abroad. Replying to a question on dropping several names from the blacklist, he said, it was a welcome move and he had always advocated it.
{{/usCountry}}He said the central government must consider scrapping the list unless someone is involved in some serious crime.
On the issue of SGPC election, he said, Congress being a secular party will not contest these elections. “But as a true Sikh I will participate in the SGPC elections and ensure that the Badals are thrown out of this institution,” he said.