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Political crisis could bring back militancy, warns Congress

Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh today cautioned the Parkash Singh Badal government and the people of the state against political and economic crises facing the state could again prove detrimental to its peace and prosperity.

Talking to journalists in Amritsar, he said that the Badal-Tohra feud coupled with the severe economic crunch facing the state could incite terrorist elements across the border to exploit the situation to their advantage.

The economic crisis could lead to social unrest prompting a anti-national elements to step in, he observed.

The Congress leader said that he was touring the state extensively to create awareness among the people about the current problems that the Badal regime had allegedly created. "At the same time I caution them that the infighting in the ruling Akali Dal could once again bring back the period of militancy," he said.

Referring to the Badal-Tohra feud, Amarinder Singh said it was rather unfortunate that these two leaders had dragged the Akal Takht into their personal quarrel and had tried to denigrate this high institution.

Asked about the possibility of the participation of his party in the next Shiromani Gurudwara Prabhandak Committee general elections, he said that the Congress kept away from religious matters. However, every Sikh had the right to contest the SGPC elections. It was the duty of every Sikh to safeguard the institutions of Sikhism, he said.

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