Badal speaking 'outright lies' on Op Blue Star: Amarinder Singh

Amritsar, Apr 2: Congress candidate from Amritsar Lok Sabha seat Amarinder Singh today took a dig at Parkash Singh Badal, alleging that he was speaking "outright lies", a day after the Punjab chief minister denied secret meeting with any Congress leader before Operation Bluestar.

"He (Badal) should better undergo a lie detector test to redeem and salvage his pride and prestige," he said in a statement. The Punjab CM yesterday had denied holding meeting with any senior Congress leader ahead of Operation Bluestar, while accusing Amarinder of lying "shamelessly" on this issue.

Amarinder had earlier claimed that 'white paper' on Punjab agitation had details about the meetings held by Badal with a senior Congress leader prior to Operation Bluestar. Amarinder had alleged that while Operation Bluestar was carried out by the Congress government, Parkash Singh Badal and BJP leader L K Advani had recommended it.

"He (Badal) is trying to get away by saying even the white paper was wrong and factually incorrect," he remarked. About the Rajiv-Longowal Accord, the former chief minister said, "either Mr Badal is resorting to outright lies as a congenital liar or has forgotten his memory as I was not at all in the Congress when the accord was signed and had no role in it".

Amarinder said he had resigned from the Parliament and Congress immediately after Operation Bluestar in June 1984, while the accord was signed more than a year later.

Yesterday, Badal had alleged that Amarinder worked with other leaders to get the Rajiv-Longowal accord signed. Amarinder claimed the architect of the Rajiv-Longowal Accord was the then Punjab Governor Arjun Singh while he himself was out of the Congress.

However, he added, "I was the first to welcome the accord as I felt it was the first step towards restoring peace and normalcy in Punjab, while Badal opposed and tried to sabotage it and also betrayed his leader Sant Harchand Singh Longowal".

PTI