Capt questions Jaitley's 'social alliance' remark

Asserting that the SAD-BJP alliance is the most unholy and opportunistic tie-up, Congress candidate from Amritsar, Capt Amarinder Singh asked his BJP rival Arun Jaitley to explain what he meant by "social alliance" between the two parties.

Asserting that the SAD-BJP alliance is the most unholy and opportunistic tie-up, Congress candidate from Amritsar, Capt Amarinder Singh asked his BJP rival Arun Jaitley to explain what he meant by "social alliance" between the two parties.

In a statement issued here on Tuesday, the former chief minister said that Jaitely has admitted that it is an alliance between two communal parties claiming to be the sole representatives of two different communities, the Sikhs and the Hindus.

Reacting on Jaitley's remark that SAD-BJP alliance went beyond political alliance, Amarinder pointed out that the BJP leader has obviously tried to indicate that while the Akalis exclusively represent the Sikh community, the BJP exclusively represents the Hindu community. "There cannot be a franker admission than that by Jaitely today that the two parties represent sectarian agenda", he remarked.

Amarinder claimed that his BJP opponent was trying to divert the attention from the "inherent contradictions within the alliance", particularly after the release of the election manifesto of the BJP which has listed several things which are quite contrary to the Akali ideology. "These rather strike at the foundation of the Akali ideology and yet they have to suffer the indignity of supporting and praising it", he remarked.

"But Badal will have to take a stand as he can't sail on two boats", he asserted while demanding that Badal and Jaitley explain their respective positions on these issues rather than indulging in double standards.