Prakash Singh Badal flays Amarinder for supporting separate SGPC

BATALA: Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal today criticised senior Congress leader Amarinder Singh for supporting Haryana's move to form a separate Gurudwara Prabhandak Committee.

"People, for their vested interests and to divide and weaken the Sikh community, were supporting the sinister move of the Haryana government to constitute the separate Gurudwara Prabhandak Committee," Badal told reporters here.

Badal said Singh was not aware of the glorious history of supreme sacrifices made by the Sikhs during the erstwhile British rule for the constitution of the Amritsar-based SGPC.

Contesting the claims made by some Haryana Congress leaders that more than two lakh affidavits had been received in support of separate SGPC for the state, Badal said "even the Sikhs of Haryana were against this politically motivated move of the Congress government".

Amarinder had recently justified his support for the constitution of a separate body.

The former Punjab Chief Minister had said, Badal should introspect as why he was opposing the "autonomy to Haryana Sikhs to manage their own religious affairs".

He advised those opposing the Haryana SGPC to read history and then decide whether they should oppose Haryana SGPC or support it.

When asked about the Punjabis trapped in Iraq, the Chief Minister said the state government was committed for ensuring their safe and prompt release.

On the issue of expectation of weak monsoon this year, the Chief Minister said he had already directed the power department to ensure eight hours of minimum regular power supply to farmers.