Akali Rally: Badal plays emotional card, offers to sacrifice life for peace in Punjab

Father-son duo termed Congress as enemy of the Sikhs

Faridkot, Sept 16, 2018:

As expected Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) patron and former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal played an emotional card to retrieve lost political ground in the wake of accusations of inaction to bring those behind sacrilege and firing incidents to book during the tenure of his party rule in the state.

Cornered especially after Justice (retd) Ranjit Singh Commission report and debate on it on the floor of Vidhan Sabha, Badal said he and his son Sukhbir Badal were ready to sacrifice their lives for maintaining peace and harmony in the state.

The beleaguered Akali leadership had every reason to feel elated on seeing an impressive gathering of people at the Jabar Virodhi (anti-oppression) rally. All speakers launched a verbal offensive against the ruling Congress.

In his address, Badal recalled once again the excesses against Punjab beginning from the Partition, Operation Blue Star and 1984 Sikh massacre. He accused Congress and radicals of attemptng to disturb peace in the state and grab control of Gurdwaras and other Sikh institutions.

At the same time, he advised his son and SAD president Sukhbir Badal and his brother-in-law Bikram Majithia to refrain from speaking against Justice (retd) Ranjit Singh Commission report as this only helped the ruling Congress to take political mileage.

Other speakers including SAD president Sukhbir Badal, general secretary Bikram Majithia, Manjinder Sirsa targeted Congress minister Navjot Sidhu, Punjab Congress president and Gurdaspur MP Sunil Jakhar and radical Sikh leader Daduwal. Majithia threatened to send Sidhu to jail. They claimed that big turnout at the rally was a befitting reply to the power-drunk ruling Congress.