Amarinder, Badal trade barbs over Operation Bluestar

The war of words between Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and senior Congress leader Amarinder Singh today intensified with both trading barbs over Operation Bluestar.
A day after Amarinder alleged that Badal had asked the then Union Government to go for military action at the Golden Temple in 1984, the 86-year-old Akali stalwart accused the former Chief Minister of vitiating the political atmosphere of the state with his "false" claims on Operation Bluestar.
"Amarinder Singh was divested of the office of Chief Minister and the presidentship of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee due to his die-hard habit of vendetta, making false claims and beating about the bush," Badal claimed.

"I have never seen such a big liar like Captain Amarinder Singh in my life who has not only eroded the credibility of Congress but also vitiated the political atmosphere of the state," he said while speaking to reporters in Muktsar district on the sidelines of a function here.
Yesterday, Amarinder had alleged that Badal had asked the Union Government to go for military action at the Golden Temple at a secret meeting with the then Home Minister P V Narasimha Rao on March 28, 1984.
On being asked to react on Amarinder's allegations, Badal said the curfew was clamped across the state during Operation Bluestar and that he had entered Haryana from his village and was arrested two days after.

"Amarinder Singh was not imprisoned even for a day... while the entire world knows that I was put in jail for several years," Badal claimed.

He further said that Amarinder over the years had enjoyed important positions including president of the state unit of Congress, a party "which was responsible for Operation Bluestar".
"Why didn't he issue such statement when he was holding the chair of the Chief Minister?" Badal asked.
Amarinder was Punjab's Chief Minister between 2002-07.
Launching a counter offensive shortly after Badal had made his statement in Muktsar, Amarinder said: "Mr Badal has reaffirmed the public belief that at best he is an evasive coward and at worst an outright liar."

"He still does not have the moral courage to reply to my specific questions on why he met the then Union Home Minister P V Narsimha Rao alone and did he not suggest military operation," he added.