Shiromani, Akali Dal General Secretary Parambans Singh Romana today said it was condemnable that the Gandhi family and Congress party, which had done their utmost to break Punjab and the Sikh community from India, was talking about Bharat Jodo. Addressing a press conference here, the SAD General Secretary said “instead of indulging in political stunts, Rahul Gandhi should tell Punjabis if he had sought forgiveness for the 1984 attack on Sri Darbar Sahib, which had been ordered by his grandmother Indira Gandhi, as well as a massacre of Sikhs in Delhi and across the country. “Rahul Gandhi should also condemn his father’s statement justifying the genocide committed against Sikhs by stating that when a big tree falls the earth shakes”.
Asking Rahul Gandhi to clarify his stance till stand on the SYL Canal, Mr Parambans Romana said the former should tell whether he agreed with the sentiments of Punjabis that the SYL Canal should not be built and whether he opposed old orders allocating Punjab River waters to other states unilaterally. Mr Romana also asked Rahul Gandhi to tell Punjabis his stand on transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab as per the Rajiv Longowal accord which had been approved by Parliament. He also demanded that Rahul Gandhi tender an unqualified apology to Punjabi youth for defaming them by stating that 70% of them were drug addicts.
Asserting that the Congress party had not learnt any lessons from history, Mr Ramana said the party continued to protect its leaders who had murdered Sikhs in cold blood on the streets of Delhi. He said this as well as the party’s refusal to apologise for attacks on Sri Darbar Sahib and destruction of Sri Akaal Takht Sahib, indicated it had no respect for Punjab and Punjabis. “In such a scenario, the Bharat Jodo yatra is a mere photo opportunity for Rahul who was using it to uplift his sinking political fortunes.
The SAD leader said Rahul Gandhi should understand Punjabis were not fools. “Punjabi know how the Congress systematically discriminated against the state. He said it was the Congress party which truncated Punjab during reorganisation by leaving out large number of Punjabi speaking aareas. He said similarly Punjab was the only state which was denied its parent capital on reorganisation.
Asking Rahul Gandhi to clarify his stance on all these issues, Mr Romana said Punjabis were only seeing the Bharat Jodo yatra as another Congress attempt to sprinkle salt on their wounds.