Protesters heckle Sukhbir in Dhariwal
GURDASPUR: Shiromani Akali Dal president and former Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal was heckled by protesters on Sunday, while he was attending a three-day religious function organised to mark the death anniversary of late Sant Hazara Singh at Gurdwara Sri Angeetha Sahib near Dhariwal town, on October 15 .
Sant Hazara Singh’s grandson, Baba Budh Singh, who manages the gurudwara was delivering a politically charged speech, accusing Congress of being antisikh when people in the congregation began shouting slogans against Sukhbir Singh Badal and Akali Dal, holding the two responsible for the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib at Behbal Kalan.
After disrupting the function, they left the pandal.
Earlier, instead of speaking about Sant Hazara Singh, Budh Singh devoted his speech to castigating the Congress party. He said it was Congress government at the Centre, led by Indira Gandhi in 1984 that had attacked Golden Temple.
Budh Singh also blamed Congress for the anti-sikh genocide following the assassination of Indira Gandhi by her bodyguards in 1984.Congress minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, he said, was like Hitler.
Later, the organisers presented siropas to Sukhbir Badal, Bikram Singh Majithia and other Akali leaders. However, none of them, including Sukhbir Singh Badal, were invited to address the function. Though most of the followers had left the pandal, Sukhbir Singh Badal and other party leaders remained there till 10.30 pm.
Sukhbir Badal was accompanied by former minister Bikram Singh Majithia, Akali MLA’S Virsa Singh Valtoha and Lakhbir Singh Lodhinangal, Youth Akali Dal Majha zone leader Ravi Karan Singh Kahlon, former Gurdaspur MLA Gurbachan Singh Babbehali, local leaders including Sukhbir Singh Wahla and Inderjit Singh Randhawa.