SGPC row: Amarinder warns Badal

Senior Congress leader Amarinder Singh today warned Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal against "pushing" the state into a "constitutional crisis" over the issue of a separate Haryana Shiromani Gurdwara Management Committee.
"Badal is not only abdicating his authority and responsibility as the Chief Minister of the state but also building up an explosive situation that has the potential to explode and spiral out control only to satisfy his personal ego and vested interests," a statement quoting Amarinder said here.
"Chief Ministers are expected to adopt the constitutional means and methods and not resort to extra-constitutional blackmail which Badal is trying to thrust", he remarked, while referring to the protest Badal was planning to lead on July 27 against the setting up of a separate Haryana SGPC.

Referring to the planned Sunday congregation, Amarinder asked Badal, "do you take the responsibility about what will happen there or you will behave as you always have been by provoking and pushing people into the problem and running yourself away".
He pointed out, "imagine if there is an untoward incident, a law and order problem as there is every apprehension, will the police be able to act with the Chief Minister who happens to be the effective head of the state at the forefront of the protest".
Asserting that Badal was trying to force the Akali Dal against the Haryana Sikhs, he questioned the very logic of his protest against the Haryana SGPC saying it was the part of Congress manifesto in 2004 and 2009 in response to the demand made by the Sikhs there.

Amarinder said, there was a sense of unease, uncertainty, fear and panic among the people the way situation was being built up by Badal at Amritsar.