LUDHIANA, March 18: The national spokesperson of the All India Congress Committee, Manish Tewari today asked the Shiromani Akali Dal to come clear and come clean about its stand on the recent statement of Varun Gandhi where in he had insulted the minorities including the Sikhs.
Talking to reporters during his road-show in Jagaraon, Tewari pointed out, “SAD, claiming itself to be the representative and well wisher of the Sikhs, is an ally of the BJP and Varun Gandhi has been speaking for the BJP”. He specifically referred to an incident where Varun Gandhi had asked an elderly Sikh to get out of his meeting.
“While the BJP’s dual stand of shedding crocodile tears on the issue is understandable because Varun Gandhi is doing everything at its (the party’s) behest, let the SAD, particularly its leadership including Sardar Parkash Singh Ji Badal and Sukhbir Singh Badal clarify on the issue”, he said, while pointing out, this is a sensitive issue given the fact that Varun Gandhi is contesting from Pilibhit as a BJP candidate where there is a substantial proportion of Punjabi and Sikh population.
Meanwhile, the Congress road-show today drew huge crowds in Jagaraon city where people marched along with Tewari and three sitting legislators Gudeep Singh Bhaini, Darshan Singh Brar and Harmohinder Singh Pradhan.
Addressing the workers during the road-show Tewari observed that there appeared to be a definite mood of change prevailing among the people as they have been disillusioned with the ruling SAD-BJP government in the state. He said, “the SAD-BJP alliance had misled the people of the state into deceit making tempting promises without aiming to fulfill them”.
However, Tewari congratulated the people of Jagaraon for taking a firm stand against the coalition even during the assembly elections when they returned the Congress candidate Bhaini from here. He appealed to them, “now is the time to reiterate your resolve and announce your verdict once again against this government in the parliamentary elections”. His words were received with thundering applause by the crowds.
The Congress spokesperson declared, this was going to be a decisive fight between the communal and opportunist forces led by the SAD-BJP on the one hand and the secular and progressive forces led by the Congress and its leader Dr Manmohan Singh. He pointed out, the real communal colours of the BJP had already started coming out with Varun Gandhi’s speech, who has already denounced the minorities including the Muslims and the Sikhs.