Shaheedi Jor Mela: SAD, Cong bashes each other

The religious sanctity of annual three-day 'Shaheedi Jor Mela' here today was marred by political opponents ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Congress by leveling accusations against each other during their political conferences.
Every year during the religious fair, political parties use the platform to vent their ire against each other throwing to winds the sanctity of the Jor Mela. This year too political parties lambasted each other.
Peoples Party of Punjab (PPP) too joined the bandwagon and held a political conference here to fire salvos at SAD and Congress.
While Congress sought CBI probe into drug racket unearthed by Punjab police claiming political patronage and involvement of some ministers in it, the SAD leadership blasted Congress on several issues, including corruption and alleged discrimination against Punjab.

Key speakers included Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Punjab Congress Chief Partap Singh Bajwa and PPP supremo Manpreet Singh Badal.
Bajwa also accused the Akalis of misutilisation of central funds.

On the other hand, Badal came down heavily on Congress and said that due to the weakness of the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre, the country's sovereignty was in peril.
The Chief Minister said that due to "wrong policies" of Congress, India which was once known as a 'Golden Sparrow', today leads the world in poverty.
Training guns at Congress, the Chief Minister said the successive Congress governments at the Centre have meted out step motherly treatment with Punjab by denying it of Punjabi speaking areas, legitimate share in river waters and even its capital.

He said Congress has inflicted a deep wound on Sikh psyche by irrelevantly meddling in their social, political, economic and even religious matters.
The religious fair is held to pay tributes to two Sahibzada's (sons) of tenth Sikh Guru Gobind Singh - Zoravar Singh and Fateh Singh - on their martyrdom day today.