Badal raids: Advani attacks Punjab govt

For Akali Dal leader Parkash Singh Badal — hounded by the Amarinder Singh government and sore with the BJP for dumping him — nothi...

For Akali Dal leader Parkash Singh Badal — hounded by the Amarinder Singh government and sore with the BJP for dumping him — nothing could have sounded better than Dy PM L.K. Advani speaking up for him today.

‘‘Whatever is happening in Punjab is wrong. This is sheer intolerance against the Opposition and is against the values of democracy. In a democracy, no one in power should resort to any action with a feeling of revenge. There should be no ill-will against a party in Opposition, as otherwise, democracy and federalism will not be effective,’’ Advani said after meeting BJP leaders Vijay Kumar Malhotra and Madan Lal Khurana.

Amarinder’s ministers ridicule Deputy PM

CHANDIGARH: Hours after the Punjab Congress government was criticised by Dy PM L.K. Advani, five Punjab Ministers ridiculed him for issuing ‘‘baseless statements’’. The state machinery reacted immediately to Advani’s statement suggesting that it was Sikh voters in Rajasthan that Advani was interested in. ‘‘In Rajasthan, for instance, there are 22 constituencies where Sikh voters number from 10 to 13,000 per constituency,’’ the Ministers said. ‘‘Instead of making such statements, Advani should have first asked Punjab CM for details of the charges and the evidence against Badal,’’ they said. The statement was issued by Chaudhary Jagjit Singh, Minister for Local Government, Lal Singh, Finance Minister, Partap Singh Bajwa, PWD Minister, Sardool Singh, Excise Minister and Gurchet Singh Bhullar, Irrigation Minister. (ENS)

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Khurana and Malhotra, who led a group of local Sikh leaders to Advani today, reportedly apprised him of the prevailing view among the party cadre that BJP’s silence on the ‘‘political persecution’’ of Akalis may send wrong signals to Sikh voters in Delhi and other states where polls are due next year.

Badal also met Advani today and handed over details of ‘‘wanton violation of human rights and law and order’’ by Amarinder Singh’s government in pursuing cases of corruption against him. Sources say Advani was keen on sending an NDA team to Punjab to assess the situation but Badal asked him to await his signal. Akali leaders are apprehensive about the team’s visit before the Badal and Tohra factions join hands on July 16 at Akal Takht. ‘‘We want the unity function to remain ours,’’ Akali sources said.

Earlier, Badal had expressed unhappiness over the Centre’s silence on the Punjab government’s attacks on him and his family. He had recently said: ‘‘Advani only hears me.’’

Meanwhile, Congress today claimed the Punjab government’s action against Badal was not part of any ‘‘political witch-hunt’’. Refuting Advani’s statement, party spokesman Jaipal Reddy said: ‘‘Advani has chosen to criticise Amarinder under pressure from Badal.’’ ‘‘The charges against Badal are not new. These were levelled against him during the campaign for Assembly elections in Punjab,’’ he said. ‘‘Amarinder has taken action after collecting concrete and adequate evidence,’’ he said.

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‘‘The material found is voluminous and steps taken cannot be dismissed as a political witch-hunt,’’ he added. ‘‘It is improper on part of Advani to make such comments on the CM who is proceeding after collecting due evidence,’’ Reddy said.