Capt, Sukhbir in Twitter war over SAD protest

TAKING POTSHOTS Amarinder says SAD violated law by blocking highways; Sukhbir says it’s murder of democracy

CHANDIGARH: Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh and SAD president Sukhbir Badal hurled accusations at each other on Twitter on Sunday over cases registered by the state government against the Akali leaders after they blocked the national highways across the state for two days. While Amarinder said the SAD had violated the law, Sukhbir hit back by charging the state government with “murder of democracy”. ››

CHANDIGARH: Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal hurled accusations at each other on Twitter on Sunday over cases registered by the state government against the Akali leaders after they blocked the national highways across the state for two days.

While Amarinder said the SAD had violated the law by blocking the national highways and caused inconvenience to people, Sukhbir hit back by charging the state government with “murder of democracy” by not letting people file their nomination papers for the municipal elections and declaring his resolve to expose it. The two leaders posted a series of tweets, taking potshots at each other, in a spar triggered by the highstakes municipal polls. The Akalis had taken to the streets on Thursday in protest against the alleged attack by Congress activists on its workers at Mallanwala, besides registration of “false” cases against some party leaders.

Amarinder was the first one to have a go on Twitter by accusing the SAD of going the A am A ad mi Party (AAP) way of street poli- tics and learning no lessons from Arvind Kejriwal and his party’s poll routs. “Right to protest is indisputable in a democracy. But the way @officeofssbadal @Akali_Dal blocked the national highway was not only illegal but against the interest of the people. Not the sign of a healthy opposition!” he tweeted.

TheCMalsopostedthat blocking national highways does not just cause hardship to people, it cuts off the strategic supply line of our armed forces in Kashmir and other areas, thus undermining our defence strength. “And despite their claims of being guardians of Sikh religion, @officeofssbadal @Akali_Dal also don’t care that blocking highways obstructs pilgrims going to SriHarmandirSahib.Onlything they care about is their vested interests,” he posted in one of his five tweets.

Sukhbir Badal, who is among the 1,500-odd Akali leaders and workers booked for putting road blockades across the state on Thursday and Friday, was quick to respond with a string of tweets without mincing words.

“Your goons forced usto come on roads by beating, shooting and not allowing people to file nominations in municipal polls,” he tweeted, tagging the chief minister. Reminding the chief minister of his own street protests, the SAD president posted the photograph of a Congress protest with the caption: “@capt_amarinder-And here’s a picofyoublockingaroad.Whom are you trying to fool? SAD will continue to protest for people’s rights.” Sukhbir also asked Amarinder not to adopt a holier than thou attitude.

Amarinder did not let Sukhbir’s allegations pass. “If Akali Dal nominees had been stopped from filing papers they would have grabbedtheextraday given by the EC to submit papers. Fact is nobody turned up, clearly expose your blatant falsehoods,” he replied, asking the SAD chief to stop perpetrating lies.