Reacting sharply to the protests against its party’s vice-president Rahul Gandhi, the district unit of Congress on Friday demanding an apology from the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) for the thousands of lives lost during the militancy in Punjab.
“Rahul was a teenager when the anti-Sikh riots took place in1984. So there is no question of his tendering an apology. On the contrary, chief minister Parkash Singh Badal should apologise to all the Punjabis for fanning terrorism and communal hatred in Punjab, which claimed a large number of innocent lives,” said Amritsar (rural) District Congress Committee (DCC) chief Gurjeet Singh Aujla.
Aujla while talking to the media demanding an apology from CM Badal since the latter was at the helm of affairs of his party during the days of militancy in the state.
“It would be unjustified on my part if I make this demand from Sukhbir Singh Badal as in the eighties he had gone abroad for studies and he was not active in politics. The Akalis too should see some reason before shouting at the top of their voices against Rahul,” he added.
Referring to the apologies already tendered by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, the DCC chief asked chief minister Badal to show the same courage and tender an apology for his party’s role in supporting terrorism and for attending the 'bhogs' of slain terrorists.
{{/usCountry}}Referring to the apologies already tendered by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, the DCC chief asked chief minister Badal to show the same courage and tender an apology for his party’s role in supporting terrorism and for attending the 'bhogs' of slain terrorists.
{{/usCountry}}Aujla questioned the BJP for its silence on the role of Akali leaders during the period of militancy.
“Have the BJP leaders forgotten that its leaders Harbans Lal Khanna, Hit Abhilashi and many others were shot dead by terrorists. Have they forgotten the murderous attack by terrorists on its former national vice-president the late Dr Baldev Parkash, one of the most respected figures from Amritsar,” he said.