‘Anti-national’ Congress supporting pro-Khalistan groups in Punjab: Sukhbir Badal

“Rebutting Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal’s statements blaming theirs and other Sikh groups for disturbing communal harmony in Punjab allegedly at Congress” behest, Dal Khalsa has said that actually it was deputy chief minister’s politically managed move to pardon Sirsa Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim that has put the Punjab on boil.

“Groups with which Congress leaders shared the stage have links with Pakistan and ISI”, he stated.

“Congress under Rahul Gandhi is bringing back 1984 tension”, Badal said.

Punjab’s ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Saturday accused Congress of enjoying a harmful recreation and supporting Khalistani parts in the state.

Addressing the media here ahead of his meeting with President Pranab Mukherjee, Badal targeted Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi for turning a blind eye to Congress leaders extending “overt and covert” support to the political leaders engaged in radical politics in the state.

Punjab Congress leaders are expected to hold a counter-press conference later in the day today.

He said that his government had also written to the Home Ministry regarding the developments in the state.

The role of Congress, he claimed, “had been exposed” as its leaders had attended the gathering in Amritsar on November 10 where “the major demand was for a separate state of Khalistan”.

“Everyone knows how it started and in order to fight Akali Dal, the Congress encouraged certain elements which then went out of control and that led to full 15 years of disturbance in Punjab which even threatened the nation’s integrity”.