Badal personifies defiance to Akal Takht, says Tript Bajwa; SAD hits back

CHANDIGARH: Punjab rural development and panchayats minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa on Wednesday lashed out at Union food processing minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Wednesday, saying the only political leader who repeatedly defied the revered Akal Takht is her fatherin-law Parkash Singh Badal.

Strongly refuting her allegations against chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh of denigrating the supreme Sikh institution, Bajwa called upon her to first go through the recent history of the Akali Dal to know the truth. “Badal destroyed every Sikh institution to pave the way for the ascendency of his family in the religio-political domain. For the Badal family, personal interests dictate its politics rather than the welfare of the people,” he said.

He referred to the “unabashed defiance” to Akal Takht during the tercentenary celebrations of the Khalsa in April 1999 when “Badal violated the hukamnama of jathedar Bhai Ranjit Singh” who had called for joint celebrations.

‘FIRST APOLOGISE FOR DESTRUCTION OF AKAL TAKHT’

Reacting to Bajwa’s comment against Badal Senior, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) asked Congress leader Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa to first apologise for the demolition of the Akal Takht and the brutal murder of thousands of innocent Sikhs at Harmandar Sahib during the Operation Bluestar in 1984 by then PM Indira Gandhi.

“It ill-behoves Congress leaders to take name of Akal Takht. Bajwa should first resign from the anti-sikh Congress and apologise for its grievous religious sin of bringing down Akal Takht Sahib and killing thousands of innocent Sikhs,” former Akali Dal MP Prem Singh Chandumajra siad.

“Their leader Captain Amarinder Singh is still defending Kamal Nath and Jagdish Tytler, the killers of innocent Sikhs in Delhi. Tript Bajwa should first tender an unconditional apology for these sins,” he added.