I challenge 'failed and absurd' Sukhbir Badal to come clean: Amarinder

Congress Deputy Leader in Lok Sabha Amarinder Singh today refuted the claims of Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, and said that the latter was just trying to justify the failure of his own government in Punjab.

"Sukhbir Badal has tried to justify the failure of his own government, and people in Punjab know truth. That is why he came to Delhi," Amarinder told the press conference.

Referring to the 'Sarbat Khalsa', the religious congregation of the Sikhs held at Amritsar recently, Amarinder said that it is not a political organisation.

"Sarbat Khalsa is not political. One of our MLAs who went had resigned as Congress MLA, other went in individual capacity," he added.

Lashing out at the Akali Dal, Singh said that everyday Akalis are getting beaten up by public in Punjab and only yesterday one leader was beaten up.

Speaking on the allegation made by the Deputy Chief Minister over the Congress Party of having links with Pakistan's intelligence agency, ISI, Singh said that it was totally absurd as even the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) don't have any information.

"That is absurd. So the IB and RAW don't know and Mr.Sukhbir Badal knows?" he said.

He also insisted that the Akali Dal would not win even a single seat in Punjab if elections were held today.

Sukhbir Singh Badal on Saturday called on President Pranab Mukherjee and suggested that the Congress party should be derecognized and declared as 'anti-national'.

"We have requested the President to declare the Congress Party an 'anti-national' party and asked for its de-recognition," Badal told the reporters after his meeting with the President.

He accused that party vice-president Rahul Gandhi and the Congress of trying to disturb peace in Punjab by participating and organizing rallies, along with secessionist and terrorist organizations.

The Punjab Deputy Chief Minister had addressed a press conference here earlier where he accused the Congress of creating an alliance with the terrorist organizations which had links with Pakistan's ISI, just for the sake of political gains.

"Everyone knows what Punjab went through in the 80s. During the fifteen years of militancy, thousands of Punjabis were killed; there was communal as well as full disturbance of peace in the state of Punjab," Badal told the press conference

Sukhbir Badal was hinting at the support that Sant Bhindranwale received by the Congress.

Bhindranwale capitalized on the support and later occupied the Golden Temple and the Army had to be called to evict him.

A delegation of Punjab Congress leaders led by party vice-president had earlier met President Mukherjee and submitted a memorandum urging him to initiate a judicial probe into the killing of two persons in recent protests over alleged desecration of Guru Granth Sahib.

Rejecting the CBI probe ordered by the Punjab government, the Congress leaders demanded an inquiry to be conducted by a sitting Judge of the Supreme Court.