Akali Dal, Congress, AAP target one another at religious gathering

With state assembly polls on the mind, major political parties attacked one another on Sunday over the state of affairs of Punjab at political conferences organised during the "Shaheedi Jor Mela" in this holy Sikh town.

Be it the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal, the opposition Congress, new entrant Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) or the radical-minded Shiromani Akali Dal-Amritsar, the political conferences they organised during the religious congregation here were a clear indicator that all parties were gearing up for the 2017 assembly polls.

The Akali Dal accused the Congress and other parties of conspiracies to create unrest in Punjab.

"I must warn you that there are many conspiracies against the Akali Dal and Sikhs. The Congress is the biggest enemy of Sikhs," Akali Dal president and Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said in his address.

Terming the SAD a "unique party", he said: "The Akali Dal represents Sikhs' community. It has always stood for interests of Sikhs."

Launching a frontal attack on the ruling party, Congress state chief Amarinder Singh said that the Akali Dal government, which has been in power in the state since 2007, has ruined Punjab.

"Punjab is in a complete mess and only the Akali Dal and Badals are responsible for this. The law and order situation is deteriorating and the state is in a financial mess. The Congress is ready to make them bite the dust," he said.

Taking both of them on, the AAP leadership, led by Lok Sabha member Bhagwant Mann and Punjab unit leader S.S. Chhotepur, said that the Akali Dal and Congress were involved in friendly political fights and had encouraged corruption in the state.

The Shiromani Akali Dal-Amritsar leadership, including president Simranjit Singh Mann, blamed the Akali Dal government for not being able to control recent incidents of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib and firing on those protesting against these incidents.