Prakash Singh Badal burnt Indian constitution during Khalistan movement, says Congress

Rejecting charges that Congress was supporting radical and anti-national forces, party's Deputy Leader in Lok Sabha Amarinder Singh today claimed that Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal was trying to shift the blame for his own failures on Congress.

"We in Congress do not need any lessons on patriotism and nationalism from someone like Sukhbir Badal, whose father and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal still takes pride in having burnt the copies of the Constitution of India during Khalistan movement," he alleged.

Read More: Why did Sukhbir Singh Badal call Congress an anti-national, Khalistan supporting party?

Referring to the 'Sarbat Khalsa', the religious congregation of the Sikhs held at Amritsar recently, Amarinder said, the presence of huge number of people there was an expression of "anger" against the Badal government and not to support Khalistan as being projected by Sukhbir Badal and Khalistan protagonist Simranjit Singh Mann together.

Sukhbir Badal has tried to justify the failure of his own Govt,ppl in Punjab know truth that is why he came to Delhi-Amarinder Singh,Cong

- ANI (@ANI_news) November 21, 2015

On Sukhbir's claims that he had proof as to how anti-national resolutions at the 'Sarbat Khalsa' were prepared and passed, what was he doing as the Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister of the state.

"Does his responsibility finish at blaming the Congress," he asked, adding, he should better own the moral responsibility and resign.

Amarinder claimed Sukhbir is only betraying his frustration and "congenital obsession" of blaming Congress for their own wrongs.

Sarbat Khalsa is not political,one of our MLAs who went had resigned as Congress MLA,other went in individual capacity-Amarinder Singh

- ANI (@ANI_news) November 21, 2015

"It is natural for Sukhbir and his father to feel frustrated that when Rahul Gandhi is hailed and welcomed with open arms across Punjab while going on padyatra, the Badals cannot even dare to venture out lest people thrash them like their ministers," he alleged in a statement in the national capital.

The former Punjab Chief Minister said, the Akalis including Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his deputy Sukhbir Badal were "unnerved" over Congress' popularity in the state and had now launched a "malicious and slanderous" campaign against the party and its leaders.

That is absurd. So IB and RAW don't know and Mr.Sukhbir Badal knows?-Amarinder Singh on Akali allegations of Pak-ISI connection

- ANI (@ANI_news) November 21, 2015

He claimed that there are reports of Akali leaders, ministers and legislators being thrashed by people out of anger, saying, "their (Badals') frustration is natural".

Only yesterday, he claimed, minister Sikander Singh Malukha was "slapped" by an elderly angry farmer in his home town.

The senior Congress leader pointed out, only a week ago Sukhbir said that the "ISI was behind all the trouble" in Punjab. "Now all of a sudden he has woken up to revelations that Congress was behind all this," he said, taunting the deputy chief minister, while making it categorically clear that Congress is a secular and nationalist party which has laid down several sacrifices to safeguard the unity and integrity of the country and will never hesitate in doing it again if the need be.

"Despite the fact that both Badal and Mann are trying to project the huge turnout of people at 'Sarbat Khalsa' as pro-Khalistan, it was actually an expression of anger and outrage against Badal government and that is the reason Sukhbir is peeved and frustrated the most and is trying to blame the Congress," he claimed.

Read More: Punjab government invokes sedition charge against Sarbat Khalsa organisers

Amarinder said, the very fact that Mann was not allowed to speak at the 'Sarbat Khalsa', which Sukhbir claims to be an "anti-national show", makes it clear beyond any doubt as what people wanted there.

"Had it really been a pro-Khalistan congregation and not an anti-Badal show, why should a Khalistan proponent like Mann not be allowed to speak there," he asked.

Akali Dal will not win even one seat in Punjab if elections are held today-Capt.Amarinder Singh,Congress pic.twitter.com/DN1NlmNFBN

- ANI (@ANI_news) November 21, 2015

Amarinder said, it was not only the Congress leaders, but the leaders of other political parties like the Bahujan Samaj Party and Aam Aadmi Party also attended the congregation.

The Congress leader alleged, the matter of the fact is that it was during the Badal's government between 1977 and 1979 "that Punjab was pushed into turmoil and terrorism and now it is again under Badal's government that Punjab is being threatened by the same forces."

"Even then they used to blame Congress as they are trying to blame it on us again," he said.

-PTI