Sukhbir dares Jakhar to come out and face ‘Akali warriors’
CHANDIGARH : With Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar seeking probe against Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Badal in sacrilege and police firing incidents of 2015, the latter on Tuesday challenged Jakhar on his home turf.
Reacting to Jakhar’s statement last week that Akali leaders, especially Badals, not be allowed to enter villages, Sukhbir dared Jakhar and Congress to come out and face the “fearless Akali warriors”.
While addressing party workers near Jakhar’s house in his ancestral village of Panjkosi in Abohar, Sukhbir exhorted them to be ready to blow the “war bugle” in the September 9 rally at Malout.
“The Congress led by its president Rahul Gandhi wants control of Sikh shrines and gurdwara bodies. I dare Congress ministers to accept the challenge of AAP leader HS Phoolka to either share concrete and actionable parts of the so-called Ranjit Singh panel report or resign by September 15,” he said.
He said the commission’s report was a part of Congress’ misinformation campaign as it wants to weaken SAD. “Our party is the strongest weapon with the Sikh community to defend itself. Minus Akalis, who will stop the enemies of the Sikhs? Who will save the community,” he added.
JAKHAR IS EITHER MISQUOTING REPORT OR HAS NOT READ IT: SAD
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Tuesday hit out at Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar saying he was making “imaginative” conclusions while referring to the Justice Ranjit Singh (retd) Commission report.
Reacting to Jakhar’s recent statement that SAD president Sukhbir Badal got Rs 100 crore for deal with Dera Sacha Sauda, SAD spokesman Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal said it is “nonsensical” as there is no such conclusion in the report.
The report has quoted former MLA Harbans Jalal’s letter to the commission in which he has alleged that Sukhbir met sect head Gurmeet Ram Rahim at Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar’s residence in Mumbai to strike a deal for release of dera head’s movie in Punjab in lieu of pardon from the Akal Takht in a 2007 blasphemy case.
However, the panel had observed that Jalal did not appear when summoned to give his statement or sign on the letter. Grewal said a day after the assembly session, Jakhar demanded that role of Sukhbir needs to be investigated as the then home minister. “There is no mention in the report on Sukhbir’s role. It shows either Jakhar is misquoting the commission’s report or he has not read it. Jakhar is out to disturb peace and communal harmony. But he should not play with fire,” he added.