Sidhu attacks Sukhbir, alleges SAD chief reneges on offer to resign

Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu Tuesday launched a scathing attack on Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, accusing him of reneging on his offer to quit his party's post.

SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal has become adept at belting out packs of lies and has reneged on resigning as is evident from his statement that he is ready to resign if the party wills it so, said Sidhu in a statement here.

Sidhu's statement came afterSukhbir Singh Badal Sunday said the SAD was nobody's personal fiefdom and he was ready to quit his post the moment his party wishes so.

Sidhu and his wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu had been the targets of attack by the Akali Dal which had sought Sidhu's dismissal and lodging of an FIR against his wife for Amritsar train tragedy which left about 60 people dead and scores injured.

Describing the revolt by Taksali (traditional Akalis) leaders as unprecedented, Sidhu said Taksali leaders such as Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, Rattan Singh Ajnala and Sewa Singh Sekhwan (all core committee members) had voiced their "disenchantment" with the way SAD chief was functioning like a "dictator".

Sidhu said, The writing on the wall is clear for Badals.

Sidhu further accused the Badal family of turning the century-old party into a private limited company and alleged that former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal was so engulfed in his love for his son that he had been behaving like 'Dhritrashtra' by being "blind to the reality".

The Punjab minister asked what kind of a democracy the Badal family was practising that the party's all posts and power have been usurped by the family.

Sidhu said Parkash Singh Badal did not care to visit Amritsar even once after train tragedy and was instead pointing fingers at him.

The minister said, The truth is that the Badals want to deflect attention from their role in Bargari incident but the people of Punjab have seen through their devious ploy and will give them a befitting reply.