Chandigarh, Jan 13 (PTI) Punjab Congress chief andGurdaspur MP Sunil Jakhar today accused the SAD of misusingthe 'panth' (community) to "score political gains" byorganising conferences in religious congregations.
The comment came after the SAD announced that it wouldhold political conferences in Jor Melas, religiouscongregations in Punjab, despite the Akal Takht's call not tohold any such meetings.
He said that the Congress had in-principle followed thedirections of the Takht, the highest temporal seat ofSikhs, to avoid holding political conferences during themelas.
The party believes in allowing devotees concentrate onpaying reverence at holy places. The decision to not organisea conference at Muktsar's Maghi Mela was a part of the revisedpolicy adopted after the Takht's directions, Jakhar said.
"We are against vitiating the spiritual environment atholy places," he said in release here, adding that the SAD hadgot no moral right to cry hoarse against others during thepolitical conference in Muktsar.
"Why Parkash Singh Badal and Sukhbir Badal who belong toMuktsar district do nothing to make the holy city beautifulduring their 10-year in government," the Congress leaderasked.
Recalling that Congress government had upgradedMuktsar as district in 1995, Jakhar said that the historicgates were erected in the city during the tenure ofAmarinder Singh as chief minister in 2002-2007.
"The SAD is only now to exploit feelings of peopleon the garb of religion, they do not care for religion andtenets," Jakhar said.
The Congress-led government had also erected a memorialMukt-e-Minar to pay respects to the 40 Muktas, he said,alleging that later that SAD government completely "ignored"Muktsar despite it being the Badals home district. PTI CHSANB.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.