War of words between Amarinder, Sukhbir continues

The war of words between senior Congress leader Amarinder Singh and Punjab's Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal continued today, with former asking Sukhbir to tender an "unconditional apology" to large number of people who had attended the recently held 'Sarbat Khalsa' in Amritsar.
Amarinder Singh, who is Congress' Deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, alleged that Sukhbir had termed as "anti-national" the large number of people who attended the recently held religious congregation, though SAD President "has now retracted saying they were not anti-national".
"By one mindless utterance borne out of frustration you have tried to brand any entire community as anti-national for which you must apologise," the Congress MP from Amritsar said.

"What about the damage you have caused to Punjab and Punjabis' pride and prestige nationally and internationally by terming a religious gathering as anti-national, just because they showed anger and resentment against you and your failures?" he asked in a statement here.
Asserting that Sukhbir and his Chief Minister father Parkash Singh Badal owed an "unconditional apology" to the people of Punjab, he pointed "towards Sukhbir's U turn and frank admission in the statement issued today where he said, the Sarbat Khalsa gathering was definitely not anti national".
"I wonder what is going on in your mind," he told Sukhbir while pointing out, "only yesterday you cried hoarse terming the Sarbat Khalsa gathering to be an anti national event and accused Congress of supporting the anti national forces and now you have realised it was not anti national gathering".

About Sukhbir's claims that he was redefining the meaning of "anti-national", Amarinder told him, "not me, you and your father are trying to redefine the meaning of anti national by terming a mass protest against your government as anti national to deflect public attention".

He said, Sukhbir and his father did precisely that even now.
Notably, Sukhbir Singh Badal earlier today said Amarinder Singh was again redefining the meaning of anti-national to suit his political interests in the same manner as he had done after visiting the unofficial headquarters of the 'Khalistan movement' at Dixie Gurdwara in Canada in 2005.

(REOPENS DES 71)
Further, Amarinder Singh told Sukhbir, "As far as what anti national means, let me explain to you; it means tearing away the pages of the country's constitution and setting them on fire..."
About his visit to Dixie Gurdwara in Canada, Amarinder said, "yes I had the courage, conviction and confidence to visit that Gurdwara and put forth my point of view which people there listened to attentively".
He dared Sukhbir and his father to show same courage and visit the same Gurdwara to present their point of view.