In a stinging response to Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal's tirade against Congress government, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Sunday reminded the Akali leader that it was her own Shirom Akali Dal (SAD) regime that had allegedly heaped humiliation on the Akal Takht Jathedar in sharp contrast to his government, which has always treated the Sikh temporal seat with exemplary respect.
"For 10 years, the Akalis had been totally drunk on power, sparing neither the Akal Takht nor the people of Punjab from their tyrannical control," said the Chief Minister, asking the Union Minister "to stop indulging in such blatant falsehoods for her petty political gains."
"Everyone knows how you (Akalis) maliciously ill-treated Akal Takht Jathedars, out of sheer arrogance, and continue to abuse the Shirom Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) by dictating terms of them," said Captain Amarinder.
Pointing out that he had for months been personally engaging with the Shirom Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and appealing for a joint celebration of the 550th Parkash Purb, as befitting of the occasion.
The manner in which they had been going, on the side, to invite the Prime Minister and other Central government leaders for the separate event of the SGPC clearly exposed their revoltingly true intent, Captain Amarinder said.
"What is this if not a desperate bid to hijack the religious event for their own interests?" he asked, adding that "by announcing the reported and unconfirmed programme of the Prime Minister and President, Harsimrat had even lowered the prestige of these high offices."
( With inputs from ANI )