SAD accuses Rahul Gandhi of politicising desecration incidents

Rahul Gandhi's visit to Bargari on Wednesday evoked a sharp reaction from the Shiromani Akali Dal which accused the Congress of politicising the sensitive issue of desecration of religious scriptures to "divert people's attention from zero performance of Amarinder Singh government.

Bargari had witnessed the first incident of desecration of the holy 'Guru Granth Sahib' in 2015. Addressing a rally there, Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday raised the issue and promised strict action against those involved.

The visit of Rahul Gandhi at Bargari is the saddest day in the history of Sikh religion as the perpetrator of genocide and demolishing of Akal Takht has come wearing a mask of falsehood to portray sympathy, Akali leaders Bikram Singh Majithia and Manjinder Singh Sirsa said in a statement here.

Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal accused Gandhi of committing sacrilege by visiting Bargari village to politicize the grave issue. The Akali leader said she has "prayed to the almighty that divine wrath may fall on those who committed desecration of Guru Granth Sahib as well as those who were politicizing it.

The two parties have been trading charges over the 2015 incidents with the Amarinder Singh-led Congress government blaming the previous Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state for it.

The zero performance of Amarinder's rule of two and half years is directly linked to Gandhi's visit because the CM wanted to divert attention of the people, said Majithia and Delhi Gurdwara Committee chief Sirsa.

Harsimrat Kaur Badal also referred to Operation Blue Star in 1984 when Rahul Gandhi's grandmother Indira Gandhi was the prime minister.

Rahul came to Bargari to politicize this tragic incident. His guilt is proven from the fact that he had no remorse for the destruction of hundreds of religious scriptures during the attack on Darbar Sahib....

"Rahul Gandhi has not regretted the burning of Gurdwaras in 1984 in Delhi, she said referring to the anti-Sikh riots following the assassination of Indira Gandhi.