Amarinder making false claims on Operation Bluestar: Parkash Singh Badal

MUKTSAR: The war of words between Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Congress leader Amarinder Singh intensified as the 86-year-old Akali stalwart today accused the latter of vitiating the political atmosphere of the state with his " false" claims on Operation Bluestar.

"Amarinder Singh was divested of the office of Chief Minister and the president-ship of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee due to his die-hard habit of vendetta, making false claims and beating about the bush," Badal told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.

"I have not ever seen such a big liar like Captain Amarinder Singh in my life who has not only eroded the credibility of Congress but also vitiated the political atmosphere of the state," he added.

Yesterday, Amarinder had alleged that Badal had asked the Union Government to go for military action at the Golden Temple at a secret meeting with the then Home Minister P V Narasimha Rao on March 28, 1984.

On being asked to react on Amarinder's allegations, Badal said the curfew was clamped across the state during Operation Bluestar and he had been arrested two days after he entered Haryana from his village.

"Amarinder Singh was not imprisoned even for a day... while the entire world knows that I was put in jail for several years," Badal claimed.

He further said that Amarinder over the years had enjoyed important positions including president of the state unit of Congress, a party "which was responsible for Operation Bluestar".

"Why didn't he issue such statement when he was holding the chair of the Chief Minister?" Badal asked.

Amarinder was Punjab's Chief Minister between 2002-07.