Badal trying to polarise people for political gains: Amarinder

He alleged that the Chief Minister was responsible for the “spate in violent incidents” in the state, including the attack on Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Punjab vice-president Jagdish Gagneja last week.

Gagneja was shot at by some bike-borne persons at Jyoti Chowk area in Jalandhar, leaving him seriously injured.

“The Deputy Chief Minister cannot pass off everything on the ISI, [Inter-Services Intelligence, Pakistan’s premier intelligence agency]” 

Amarinder said while speaking to media persons on the sidelines of ‘Halqe vich Captain’ programme here.

“We all know what the ISI is up to. But what are you doing to stop it from executing its nefarious designs? Mere chest beating and blaming them will not solve any problem. You need to act,” he said.

“There was a consistent pattern in desecration incidents in Bargari, Ludhiana and Malerkotla. And then came the attack on the RSS leader,” Amarinder claimed, alleging, “The Chief Minister is deliberately orchestrating all this to polarise people for vested political interests.” 

“This is a dangerous game and Congress will not let it happen as Punjab cannot afford another dark era. If such things continue to happen, Punjab will further slide down. Also investors are reluctant to come here,” he claimed.

On AAP leader H S Phoolka’s threat of filing defamation suit against him, Amarinder said, “He is welcome to do that.” 

During ‘Halke Vich Captain’ event, visually impaired children and members of the ‘Sant Narayan Dass Blind and Handicapped Society’ from Hoshiarpur met Amarinder and spoke about their grievances, a Congress spokesperson said.

The problems they discussed with the state Congress chief included difficulty in finding jobs for the educated blind youth, and expenditure on higher education of these children due to the lack of fixed source of income, he said.

Amarinder promised all help and ensured arrangements for their education and jobs when his party comes to power in the state following Assembly election next year.