In Badal bastion, Capt slams Akalis over sacrilege

Praful Chander Nagpal

Fazilka, October 16

Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh took the high-profile Jalalabad segment by storm as he held a roadshow there. Hundreds of residents were seen standing on both sides of the road from where the procession passed.

Addressing mediapersons after the roadshow in favour of Congress candidate Raminder Singh Awla in Akali bastion, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder said, “Sukhbir’s misconception that he has the people of Jalalabad in his pockets will soon be shattered”.

The roadshow began from Arniwala sub-tehsil and and terminated at Udham Singh Chowk in Jalalabad town. Punjab Congress affairs incharge Asha Kumar and PPCC president Sunil Jakhar also accompanied the CM.

The CM lashed out at Sukhbir over his criticism of the state for pleading for the release of police personnel languishing in prisons for alleged human rights violations during the militancy period. Thousands of cops died in the line of duty at that time to protect Punjab and the nation, and the actions of these personnel was motivated by the need to fight militancy, he pointed out, adding that seeking their release on humanitarian grounds was in line with Guru Nanak’s philosophy of compassion and benevolence. “But you can’t expect Sukhbir to understand this,” he quipped.

Sukhbir and his party also came under attack from Capt Amarinder over their stance on Bargari sacrilege case. They had tried hard to get the case back to the CBI, but his government had successfully taken charge and would expose the truth at all costs, he vowed.

On the inaugural programme of the corridor, the CMdismissed Akali claims saying the programme was not being worked out by the SAD but by the Union Government, which was in talks with Pakistan. The corridor was a GoI project and the Akalis had no say in the matter, he added.