Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh today accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of playing “dirty politics” after the PM claimed that the Congress leader skipped an official event marking the Jallianwala Bagh massacre’s centenary as he was busy in “Congress parivar’s bhakti”.
Capt Amarinder alleged that the Centre had deliberately chosen to hold a “parallel event” instead of supporting the programmes of the state government.
The event, held in Amritsar on Saturday by the Centre, was attended by Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu.
Shocked by your remarks in Kathua on Jallianwala Bagh @narendramodi ji. You used a somber occasion to play dirty politics, conveniently ignoring your own government’s decision to hold a parallel event instead of extending support to my govt, which we’d been requesting for 2 yrs.
— Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) April 14, 2019
The CM claimed he had personally approached the PM several times over the last two years to seek support for ensuring that the occasion is commemorated in a befitting manner, but the Centre failed to respond suitably.
“Instead, the Modi government decided to hold its own event, quite evidently to score political brownie points in the backdrop of the elections,” he alleged.
“This was truly shocking considering that the PM is the chairman of the Jallianwala Bagh Trust.”
At the #JallianwalaBaghCentenary Commemoration honouring the descendants of the martyrs of #JallianwalaBagh. Released the book 'Martyrdom to Freedom: 100 Years of Jallianwala Bagh', as a befitting tribute by @thetribunechd to the immortals of Jallianwala B https://t.co/knqVi1zPlJ
— Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) April 13, 2019
Congress president Rahul Gandhi and the CM had on Saturday morning paid floral tributes at the Jallianwala Bagh Memorial in Amritsar.
“Shocked at your remarks. You used a sombre occasion to play dirty politics, conveniently ignoring your government’s decision to hold a parallel event,” he tweeted.
The Congress leader said that while Modi was busy in his usual dirty political games, he (Captain) was at the memorial for the state-level event. A Cabinet minister (OP Soni) was present at the Centre’s function, he said.