CM trashes Bhagwant Mann's allegations of horse-trading

Rejecting the horse-trading allegations levied by Bhagwant Mann as total trash, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday said the AAP leader was an out and out liar with zero value for any party.

Talking informally with reporters here, the Chief Minister said Mann was making baseless allegations against the Congress out of sheer desperation in the face of exodus of MLAs, leaders and workers from his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) into the ruling party.

Countering Mann's challenge to name his price, Amarinder Singh said the AAP leader was of "zero value".

"We in the Punjab Congress will not let him into our party even if he begged for it," said the Chief Minister in response to a question.

On people asking questions of both the Congress and the Akalis ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the Chief Minister described it as a sign of healthy democracy.

He was personally being asked a lot of questions, which he was happy to answer to the satisfaction of the people, Amarinder Singh said, asserting that he would fulfil every single promise made to the people of Punjab.

Making it clear once again that the Special Investigating Team (SIT) had not given a clean chit to Parkash Singh Badal in the sacrilege cases, the Chief Minister said the probe was continuing and Inspector General Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh would be back in the SIT immediately after the elections to take it to its logical conclusion.

Nobody guilty of playing such an obnoxiously divisive card would be spared, he said, reiterating that the law would take its course and all those responsible for the carnage would face punishment, whatever their position or role.

On the much-delayed SGPC elections, Amarinder Singh said the polls would be held without further delay if the Congress comes to power at the Centre. The Akalis have been misusing Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, for their personal gains and he would support anyone who is prepared to free the religious body from the SAD shackles, he added.

Earlier, addressing a Punjab Congress workers' meeting, Amarinder Singh expressed confidence that the party would rout the Badals and their Akali Dal completely in these Lok Sabha elections, which he called decisive as it would decide the fate of the country.

--IANS

vg/in