The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today said it appeared the Congress did not have any persons other than genocide accused and land grabbers for appointment as incharge of its Punjab unit with newly appointed leader Asha Kumari having been sentenced to a one year jail term in a land grab case early this year.In a statement here, SAD leader and Union minister for food processing Harsimrat Kaur Badal said it appeared the party of scams and scamsters was running short of clean persons to head the Punjab unit. "How else can you explain the recent appointment of Kamal Nath as the incharge of the Punjab unit before he was made to resign after Punjabis expressed their shock and outrage over the callousness of the Congress party in giving the charge to someone who was accused of instigating a mob to demolish the Sisgang Gurdwara besides wanton killings in 1984".Mrs Badal said as if this was not enough the Congress high command had now pulled Asha Kumari out of the box and appointed her as the State incharge. She said Ms Kumari had been sentenced to one year jail in a land grab case in Himachal Pradesh. She is accused of manipulating revenue records, fabricating wills and transferring 60 bighas of government forest land in the name of her husband, Brijender Singh.
The Union minister said the twin actions were proof that the Congress high command and the Gandhi family were not interested in Punjab or its people and were in fact working as per a set anti-Punjab agenda. "Otherwise there is no need for the Congress to appoint either a genocide accused or a land grabber to handle its party unit in Punjab", she added.Mrs Badal said now all eyes were on Pradesh Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh. "Will he now step up and give a clean chit to Ms Kumari as he had done in the case of Kamal Nath recently and other anti- Sikh genocide perpetrators earlier", she added.The SAD leader said the truth was that Amarinder himself was severely compromised after his name had cropped up in the opening of accounts and Trusts overseas. She said instead of telling Punjabis why he had stashed his wealth abroad which had been now documented he was trying to paint a picture of victimisation. "Will he now say that Ms Kumari was also victimised and that there was no case against her".Mrs Badal said Amarinder Singh should better clear his position in the matter lest it be understood that he was trying to help a former royal from Chamba Royal family to revive her political career at the expanse of the people of Punjab. "If this is so it is condemnable. If not this is the time to come clean", Mrs Badal added.