Cong blames Badal for Sacha Sauda imbroglio, seeks probe

Chandigarh, May 17 (UNI) Commenting on the Sacha Sauda controversy rocking the state, the Punjab unit of Congress today accused Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal of ''planning and hatching a conspiracy to divert the attention from its failures'' and ''making a crude attempt to shift the blame on Congress Party''.

In statement issued here after a Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) meeting here, the PPCC chief Shamsher Singh Dullo said the party strongly condemned the ''failure of SAD-BJP Government to control the law and order situation in the State and instead instigated the miscreants to indulge in violence''.

The Party demanded a judicial probe by a sitting High Court Judge into the entire episode to ''expose'' those responsible for the present turmoil in the state.

''We appeal to the Akalis to refrain from blowing this incident out of proportion for maintaining law and order and restoring peace and harmony in the State'', the statement said.

The Badal government had so far failed in ''assessing the gravity of the situations arising out of the false cases being registered against the Premis and others who happen to be their political opponents', the statement said.

As far as the dress and postures of the Dera Head Sant Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh, over which the trouble broke out, were concerned, the Congress Party firmly believed that no human being can be equated with the Tenth Guru Guru Gobind Singh.

''It is the thinking of these misled Akali leaders who are trying to equate the Baba Ram Rahim with Sri Guru Gobind Singh although the Baba himself has never claimed any semblance with the Great Guru'', the statement said.

The Congress also appealed to Shiromanu Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Avtar Singh Makkar to refrain from ''firing provocative statements'' and instead ''restrain people from violence and save Punjab from turmoil''.

The PPCC also condemned Simranjit Singh Mann for dishonouring the statue of former Chief Minister Late Beant Singh and demanded stern action against such elements.

UNI