Congress Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha Capt Amarinder Singh today paid obeisance at Darbar Sahab and Durgiana Mandir praying for peace in the state. He said, nobody can be allowed to fiddle with the supreme authority of the Akal Takhat and any such attempt will be strongly defeated.Asserting that there was total collapse of law and other and that the state had totally abdicated its authority, the former Chief Minister strongly disapproved of the brandishing of naked swords by some youth while blocking roads, saying, while holding the protest was a democratic right, these must be peaceful.Holding the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal squarely responsible for the current state of affairs in Punjab, he demanded immediate dismissal of his government and imposition of President’s rule to restore peace and law and order.
Accompanied by his wife Ms Preneet Kaur, the Congress Legislative Party Leader Sunil Jakhar and about 20 MLAs, district presidents and former ministers and legislators, Capt Amarinder straightway drove to Durbar Sahab from the airport.He stood along with the common devotees in the normal queue and waited for his turn to have the Darshan and perform ardas. He also paid his obeisance in front of Shri Akal Takhat Sahab. He went around the parikrama and later partook of the langar there.Subsequently, the former Chief Minister and other Congress legislators and leaders went to Durgiana Mandir, where they performed puja for the peace and welfare of Punjab and Punjabis.Talking to reporters outside the Durbar Sahab, Capt Amarinder said, like a common Punjabi who looks with great hope and expectations towards the Darbar Sahab, he had also come with his prayers for peace and harmony and was confident that these will be granted at this holiest of the holy places.
The Congress leader sought the dismissal of the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, saying he was responsible for the current situation. He asked as why his government did not act when the holy Bir was stolen in the month of June from a Gurdwara near Kotkapura. He said, had timely action been taken the situation in Punjab would not have reached this impasse.
Asserting that nobody, including Mr Badal, will be allowed to try to fiddle with the authority of the Shri Akal Takhat Sahab, Capt Amarinder said, it had been established by the Sixth Master. “Nobody will be allowed to dare to undermine its Supreme Authority and whosoever tries to do that, will duly and rightly be punished and defeated in his designs like Mr Badal”, he observed, while pointing out, “in the past there were massands, who were thrown out and modern day massands like Mr Badal will also be thrown out and the beginning had already been made in this regard”.Replying to a question on the state-wide protests and dharnas, Capt Amarinder said, it was a democratic country and everybody had right to protest. However, he cautioned that the protests must be peaceful lest these vitiate the harmonious atmosphere in the state. He strongly disapproved of the youth openly moving with naked swords, which he said was wrong and unacceptable. He said, Punjab cannot afford another phase of violence.To another question over Mr Badal’s appeal seeking all parties’ cooperation in maintaining peace in the state, he observed, it was an irony that the person responsible for the current mess was now preaching for peace and seeking cooperation of other political parties.About Ramanjit Sikh Sikki’s resignation, Capt Amarinder said, he understood his sentiments and he was genuinely hurt over the desecration of the holy book in a Gurdwara in his area. “Sikki reflects the hurt feelings of common Punjabis and their anger against this government which has not been able to identify and punish the culprits”, he observed.
Those who accompanied Capt Amarinder included, Mr Sunil Jakhar, Ms Preneet Kaur, OP Soni, Sukh Sarkaria, Sukhjinder Randhawa, Rana Gurjeet Singh, Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi, Tript Rajinder Bajwa, Joginder Singh Panjgraian, Navtej Cheema, Sangat Singh Gilzian, Rajneesh Babbi, Sunder Shyam Arora, Ms Harchand Kaur, Gur Iqbal Kaur Babli, Karan Kaur Brar, Amrik Singh Dhillon, Hardayal Kambhoj, Balbir Sidhu, Gurpreet Kangar, Darshan Brar, Gurjeet Aujla, Sukhpal Bhullar, Harminder Gill, Pawan Dewan, Tarsem DC, Harpartap Ajnala, Jugal Kishore Sharma, Sunil Datti, Dinesh Bassi, Ashwani Pappu, Karamjit Rintu, Laly Majithia, SS Kathunangal, Ranjeet Chhajalwadi, Madan Lal Jalapur, Harjinder Thekedar, Jagbir Brar, Kaka Lohgarh and others.