Enough proof of 'foreign hand' behind radicals' congregation: Sukhbir

Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Thursday claimed that the Punjab government had "evidence of foreign agencies being behind the recent congregation" of radical Sikhs at Chabba village near Amritsar on November 10 and that the state government would share the same with the CBI.

"Recent revelations had also proved that the Congress was in close coordination with the radical elements who had organised the November 10 gathering and also had a hand in drafting of the resolutions," Badal, who is the president of the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal, told the media here.

Demanding that the Congress "should be declared an anti-national party" in the wake of its aligning with elements having secessionist agenda, Badal accused the opposition party of fomenting trouble in Punjab in recent months.

"It is clear that the conspiracies hatched by the foreign elements were behind the recent unfortunate incidents of sacrilege of Sri Guru Granth Sahib. From the inputs which the state government was getting, more astonishing disclosures are sure to come out," Badal said.

"The Congress is emerging as the axis around which the whole conspiracy revolves. The Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party are engaged in running a malicious and seditious campaign on the social media with the single point agenda of poisoning the atmosphere and destabilising the government," Badal said.

Issuing a strict warning, Badal said severe action would be taken against the elements misusing social media to foment trouble in the state.

"The people of Punjab and the Akali Dal-BJP government would not let the opportunistic and separatist brand of politics to take root and is duty bound to protect and ensure the peaceful atmosphere in the state. The state government is also going all out to ensure the socio-economic progress of farmers, traders and other sections of society," Badal said.

He said sacrilege cases would be dealt with more firmly in the state in future.