Badal rakes up Bluestar to attack Congress

BABA BAKALA: Alleging that Congress had a notorious past, chief minister Parkash Singh Badal on Thursday said the party had unnecessarily meddled into the social, political, economic, and religious affairs of the state instead of sticking to simple politics. He was speaking during a political rally held on the occasion of Rakhar Punia festival.
He alleged that the Congress governments in the past at the Centre had deliberately denied Punjabi speaking areas to the state, its capital Chandigarh, and even its legitimate share in river waters."How can any true Punjabi forget and forgive Operation Bluestar, and the killing of innocents in the 1984 anti-Sikh carnage?" he questioned.
Badal senior said that the 2017 assembly ballot war would be between pro and anti-Punjabi forces.
He said: "God forbid if anti-Punjab forces like Congress and Aam Aadmi Party get a chance. The situation would be really bad. People have to be extra cautious, as this time it's a clear battle, and they have to choose between foes and friends of the state."
In his address, deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal claimed there was a massive wave in support of the SAD-BJP alliance. Coming down heavily on Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, Badal junior said: "The AAP supremo wants to attain power in the state just to settle scores with the Union government. If AAP is voted to power, then there will be a direct clash between the state and the central government, which will not suit the interests of the state."
Addressing the gathering, Bikram Singh Majithia slammed both Congress and AAP for their alleged anti-Punjab and anti-Sikh mindset.
He said while the Congress had tormented the Sikh psyche by attacking religious shrines, AAP too was following in the Congress's footsteps.
He said by equating their poll manifesto with Sri Guru Granth Sahib, and by pasting a picture of their election symbol 'broom' on a picture of the Golden Temple, the AAP leadership had proved that they too were anti-Sikh, and had scant respect for Sikh religion and its ideology.