Rahul Gandhi 'scared' of defeat in Punjab: Sukhbir Badal

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Sunday hit back at Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for calling him an epitome of corruption and said this clearly indicates that the latter is scared of losing the Punjab Assembly polls.

"Rahul Gandhi is scared. He is speaking like this because he is scared of losing the election," he told ANI.

Badal expressed confidence in winning the forthcoming Punjab polls and said that the Shiromani Akali Dal has knocked out Congress twice in the past and will do the same this time as well.

Addressing a rally in Punjab's Jalalabad constituency on Saturday, Gandhi cornered Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his assertion of a corrupt-free nation and alleged that Sukhbir Singh Badal is a symbol of corruption.

"On the one side, there is the Akali Dal. And on the other, is Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji. Modi ji comes and says he is fighting against corruption. Most of the corruption takes place in one state of the country and if there is a name for that corruption, it is Sukhbir Badal," Gandhi said.

The Congress vice-president further said that his party does not make false promises to the people.

"We promised a National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) with food security and we fulfilled everything. The Ata-Dal scheme that the Akali Dal is running is a scheme of the Congress and was devised by our former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh," said Gandhi.

"The Congress will introduce tough anti-drug laws if voted to power. All those ruining the state with drugs will be jailed when the Congress comes to power," he added.

Punjab goes to polls on February 4.