Amarinder lashes back, says Badal, Sukhbir are 'Congphobic'

Chandigarh: Congress leader Amarinder Singh on Monday rejected the allegations leveled by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal against his party's role behind 'Sarbat Khalsa', saying that both the leaders were suffering from "congenital obsession of Congressphobia".

Amarinder also claimed that most of the people at 'Sadhbhavna' rally, organised by SAD in Bhatinda district today, were either imported from Haryana or officials from state government.

Criticizing Badal's speech at the rally earlier in the day, Amarinder said "it was a classic combo of ageing and Dementia, in which the person forgets his present and only recalls his past."

"Parkash Singh Badal and Sukhbir Badal are suffering from congenital obsession of Congressphobia," Amarinder said.

Instead of talking about the incidents of sacrilege, killing of peaceful people, framing of innocents and punishment to the culprits, Badal was not able to come out of 1984 riots, he said.

Punjab Congress President Partap Singh Bajwa also hit back and said it was not a 'Sadhbhavna' rally but a cunning move to "flare up" emotions of the people for "political gains".

Referring to Sukhbir's challenge to hold a rally at the same venue, Amarinder said, "You know it better that holding a rally is no big deal for me and for that I really don't need to import people from Haryana and force the state officials, including the police personnel, to attend it...

"...But let us take a spontaneous and direct popularity test among the masses and see who gets flowers and who gets thrashing of his life, if not stoned and lynched," he said.

"Moreover, your popularity is at full display in the police stations and detention centres across the state where you have detained thousands of innocent people in apprehension and fear that they might spoil your show by protesting against your excesses and atrocities," he alleged.

Taking a dig at Sukhbir's claims of 25 years rule, Lok Sabha MP said "not only will the people of Punjab throw out the Akali-BJP government in 2017, but they will also ensure that the modern day 'mahants' and 'massands' are thrown out of the SGPC and all other sacred institutions are rid of him."

"Not surprisingly he even forgot the apology he had offered to tender a week ago," he said.

"Their (Badals) only achievement has been to enrich themselves by billions of rupees by grabbing every profit making business, while making the state and its people including the farmers, industry, traders and others bankrupt," he said.