Chandigarh:
Punjab Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa today attacked Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal for visiting villages of police firing incident victims with heavy security, comparing him with British General Dyer who had ordered Jallianwala Bagh massacre, a comment which evoked an angry reaction from the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).
"First it took more than a month for Sukhbir to visit the victims' families. Then he went under heavy security as he feared protest by the people. He delayed his visit by about four hours as people waited for him with black flags in Sarawan village. He should have gone there to seek apology with folded hands for the unprovoked police firing," the Punjab Congress chief said.
Mr Sukhbir Badal visiting the victims was "like British Brigadier General REH Dyer roaming the streets of Amritsar following imposition of curfew after the Jallianwala Bagh massacre."
Mr Bajwa asserted that Mr Sukhbir Badal took this risk as Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi is to lead a 21-member delegation to President Pranab Mukherjee tomorrow seeking a high-level probe by a sitting Supreme Court judge into police firing at Behbal Kalan and series of incidents of sacrilege of holy books that the Badal government had "failed" to prevent.
Reacting sharply to Mr Bajwa's statement, senior SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema raked up "Operation Blue Star", saying if at all the "monster" of Jallianwala Bagh massacre Brigadier General Dyer was to be compared with, it could only be former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
He said, Dyer had tried to break the spirit of the freedom fighters by opening fire on them, similarly, Indira Gandhi had tried to break the spirit of the Sikhs by ordering the Army to enter into Darbar Sahab (Golden Temple).
"The Sikhs have never forgiven them, and never will."
Mr Bajwa also termed as shocking the failure of police to trace the religious scriptures which have reportedly gone missing from Burj Jawahar Singh Wala on June 1, and said it reflects "utter incompetence" of police which is under Mr Sukhbir Badal in his capacity as the Home Minister.
He suggested that the father and son should decide the approach to the issues first rather than contradicting each other.
Mr Bajwa said Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal should have the guts to admit his guilt and resign rather than trying to "hoodwink" the people by posing that he would apologise in case the people held him responsible.
Mr Cheema said it was the SAD which had always risen to the occasion and defended Sikhs rights.