Assembly condemns news channel's capsule on ''demand for Khalistan''

Chandigarh, Mar 9 (UNI) The opposition Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today created an uproar in the Punjab Assembly, demanding a high level probe into the broadcast of a news documentary on a news channel, showing interviews of Khalistan ideologue Jagjit Singh Chohan and other radical leaders like Simranjit Singh Mann.

Raising the issue during zero hour, Leader of Opposition Parkash Singh Badal demanded an inquiry by a sitting High Court judge or by the CBI into the matter, and even alleged that the Congress was behind this episode which was broadcast for more than an hour on the news channel.

''This programme was politically motivated, and the Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and his media advisor B I S Chahal have been instrumental behind this programme,'' Mr Badal stated.

The programme was crafted to defame the Sikhs, he added.

Though Deputy Chief Minister Ms Rajinder Kaur Bhattal of the ruling Congress said that the state government also condemned the news channel for the broadcast and would write to the Censor Board in this regard, the opposition pressed for an inquiry into the matter.

When Ms Bhattal said Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who was not in the House today, and would give a reply on the matter tomorrow, the opposition MLAs stood up and raised anti-government slogans, demanding an immediate assurance from the treasury benches for a high- level probe.

UNI PS KD HT1905