Amarinder will face defeat for third time: SAD

Moga: The ruling SAD on Saturday sharpened its attack against former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, a day after he was appointed President of Punjab Congress, terming him an "old lion" with "confrontational mindset" and said he will face defeat in 2017 Assembly polls for the third time.

"Captain Amarinder is considered to be the biggest lion of the Congress whom we had trounced twice (in 2007, 2012 Assembly polls). In 2017, he is ready to face it (defeat) again which will be a hat trick. Now Captain will say I will put Akalis behind bars...Now he has become an old lion. Therefore, Congress has no issue," Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal said.

He was speaking at the second Sadbhavna rally organised here by SAD as part of a series of rallies being held across the state with an intention of promoting peace in aftermath of the desecration incidents that rocked Punjab. The first rally was held at Bhatinda on November 23.

"Congress party is dreaming that now the party can win the elections. Captain Sahib we had said that we will serve the state for 25 years. Still 15 years are left," he said.

Addressing the gathering Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal congratulated Amarinder but cautioned him against following the policy of confrontation which allegedly led to his electoral defeat last two times, saying that people do not like the policy.

"Politicians should not follow the policy of confrontation. We every day see that political parties criticize each other and I want to ask whether the country has benefited out of it. Amarinder is the person who followed the confrontation policy to the hilt in Punjab. He has now become President of Punjab Congress and I congratulate him and his team. Earlier also, he was the causality of policy of confrontation," Badal said.

Citing an example, Badal claimed that Amarinder had openly spoken against Vice President Rahul Gandhi and state party president Partap Singh Bajwa.

"He is in the habit of getting involved in confrontation. Till the time he remained CM of Punjab, he vigorously practiced the policy of confrontation. He wanted to finish Akali Dal and then lodged false cases aganst me, Sukhbir and my wife. What was the result," he alleged.

Predicting humiliating defeat of Congress in 2017 elections, Badal said, "Amarinder will face the same fate what he faced last time."

Cautioning people to recognize political leaders who are trying to push Punjab back to turbulent times, Badal accused the Congress of disturbing peace and brotherhood in the state.

"It has been a policy of the Congress in Punjab's politics to indulge in that kind of work which can divide two brothers, Hindu and Sikh," he alleged.