Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Saturday advised newly-appointed state Congress chief Amarinder Singh to shun confrontation and adopt consensus in politics so that Punjab could remain a peaceful state and become a more developed one.
Addressing the second 'Sadbhawna Rally' of the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal here, Badal said that he was ready to sacrifice his life to ensure peace in Punjab.
"I have apprised (son) Sukhbir (Badal) that this path of preserving the peace was strewn with thorns and peril to life but we are ready to make every sacrifice for the sake of state and its people," he said.
Calling upon all political parties, leaders and religious leaders to join hands to ensure peace in the state, Badal told them to "shun dirty politicking" to foil the attempts of divisive forces to push the state back into the black days of militancy.
"It is high time that the Lok Sabha MP from Amritsar (Amarinder Singh) should shun the politics of confrontation and adopt the politics of consensus. The politics of confrontation pursued by Captain has already ruined his political career as the people of state have rejected him twice.
"He should give up arrogance and indulge in constructive politics for the sake of overall development of state and welfare of its people," he said.
Punjab has seen turmoil in the past over two months with protests against incidents of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib leading to violence. The Akali Dal has blamed the state Congress leadership for the turmoil and siding with radical Sikhs to disturb peace.
"The Congress is again trying to bring the troublesome periods back in the state by hobnobbing with the radical elements and pursuing its age old policy of 'divide and rule'," Badal claimed.
Addressing the rally, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said the Congress, especially the Gandhi family, was a sworn enemy of Sikhs as it was responsible for attacking Sri Akal Takht Sahib as well as the 1984 Sikh genocide. He said that the Congress was again conspiring with anti-national forces.
He claimed the comeback of Amarinder Singh as Punjab Congress president will hardly help the party.
"This so-called big war horse of Congress had tasted defeat at the hands of the Akali Dal twice and is now staring at a third straight defeat in 2017 assembly polls," he said.
Taking a dig at Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Sukhbir called it a 'Topiwali Party' and said: "The party which has ruined Delhi, is now training its guns on Punjab."
AMARINDER MEETS RAHUL
Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh met party vice president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday, a day after he was appointed to the post in view of assembly elections in the state in 2017.
Amarinder Singh, a former chief minister, has replaced Partap Singh Bajwa as party chief to lead the poll effort in the state. Congress leadership is optimistic about its prospects as it hopes that his appointment will help curb factionalism in the state unit.
The Lok Sabha member from Amritsar, he is also Congress deputy leader in the Lok Sabha.
He is likely to take over charge as state Congress chief at a public rally in Bhatinda.
Apart from Amarinder Singh, Congress on Fiday also announced former union minister Ambika Soni as chairperson of the campaign committee for the assembly polls.
