Capt Amarinder questions Jaitley's silence over killing of 35000 Hindus during militancy

Former Chief Minister and Congress candidate from Amritsar Capt Amarinder Singh today questioned the BJP candidate Arun Jaitley's silence over the killing of 35,000 innocent Hindus during militancy in Punjab to appease his Akali patrons. "Is Mr Jaitely scared of his Akali patrons lest it annoys them", Capt Amarinder asked.

Replying to a question on SGPC honouring the assassins of late Ms Indira Gandhi and Mr Beant Singh, during a press conference before filing his nomination papers today, Capt Amarinder said, he wanted to know Mr Jaitely's stand on SGPC every year honouring the killers of the Congress leaders. He observed, BJP and Jaitely owed an answer to the people since BJP is the alliance partner of the Akali Dal which controls the SGPC.

Later Capt Amarinder accompanied by his wife and Minister of State for External Affairs Ms Perneet Kaur, daughter Ms Jai Inder Kaur, son Mr Raninder Singh and daughter in law Ms Reshma Kaur and Rana Gurjeet Singh, who filed papers as the covering candidate.

To another question about setting up a memorial in memory of those killed by the militants, the former Chief Minister pointed out, 35000 people were killed and there must be a memorial so that people learn as how much Punjab suffered and they take the right lessons.

He also questioned the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal's double standards. He said, while Badal got a memorial constructed in memory of the Operation Bluestar, he has been opposing the same for the victims of terrorism.

At the same time, he sounded caution saying Punjab has moved ahead and all this should be put behind. However, he pointed out, it was Badal, Akalis and now the BJP who for their partisan interests were raising the issues Punjab otherwise wanted to put behind.