Just political gimmickry, Badals must admit mistakes: Amarinder

CHANDIGARH:PUNJAB chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh has accused the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leadership of indulging in political theatrics in the name of religion.

In a statement issued here on Saturday, the CM said the Badal clan, Akali leaders and MLAS were misusing religion to garner public support, which they had completely lost over the past two years. He expressed shock over the “failure of former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and Akali Dal president Sukhbir Badal to admit their mistakes and farcical display of regret over misdeeds committed during their 10-year misrule”.

He challenged the Badals to come out openly to acknowledge their mistakes to prove their sincerity to the people, if they really wanted to be forgiven for their misdeeds.

“They have approached the Akal Takht for forgiveness, knowing very well what were the mistakes they had committed. Yet they have chosen to call their misdeeds as inadvertent errors. The Akali leadership is once again taking refuge in religion to further their political interests,” he said.

Questioning the timing of the apology, Amarinder said Badals had their eyes on the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. “The apology drama is being enacted at a time they are at the centre of criticism over various issues, including sacrilege and police firing incidents of 2015 and pardon granted to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a 2007 blasphemy case. The political gimmickry in a desperate bid to regain lost political ground,” he added.