Amid rumours of their “friendship”, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and state Congress chief Rajinder Kaur Bhattal today issued tirades against each other during the ongoing electioneering for the Amritsar (South) by-election.

While Badal called the Congress a party of traitors and its leaders selfish, the Congress head declared that the by-election would prove to be the last nail in the coffin of the Badal government. During his door-to-door campaign and corner meetings in favor of party candidate Inderbir Singh Bularia, Badal said the Congress had always been anti-Punjab and could never become the saviour of its people.

Meanwhile, three former councillors of the Congress, Baldev Singh, Ajit Singh and Partap Singh, today joined the SAD (B) today. “You did the right thing. The Congress is a party of traitors,” he told them. He said the Congress, during its 45 years of rule, had ruined the nation due to its wrong policies. “It (Congress) is an anti-people party. The SAD BJP alliance has always given top priority to the interests of the masses,” he said.

Badal canvassed in Jaspal Nagar, Angarh, Harjit Palace, Ajad Nagar and Gokul Ka Bagh and was accompanied by cabinet minister Bikram Singh Majithia and Youth Akali Dal chief Kiranbir Singh Kang.

Meanwhile, Bhattal addressed an election rally organised by her party candidate Navdeep Singh Goldy at Sakatari Bagh and declared that the SAD-BJP government’s days were numbered. “By voting in our favour, you will throw out the tyrants who are victimising the Congress workers everywhere,” she said.

She said only the Congress could save the interests of the people and bring communal harmony, as the Akalis and the BJP believe in divisive politics. “Appa ih seat jitt ke iss zulumi sarkar nu sabak sikhauna hai (By winning this seat, we will teach a lesson to this tyrannical government,” she said, adding that the Badal government failed to provide atta-dal to the poor as promised during the elections and has proved to be a “lathi sarkar”.

“The Centre is sending huge money, which is not being used properly. This government has failed on all fronts,” she said, adding that workers would have to be brave enough to give a befitting reply to the Akalis, who would use muscle power in the elections.

Later, while talking to mediapersons, when she was asked about the absence of former CM Amarinder Singh, she said she has spoken to him and he would be campaigning for the party. “He will arrive here in two or three days,” she said, adding that there was no division and the party was united.

Harping on political vendetta, she described the case of a Dalit family in Majitha constituency, where a young boy was murdered as his family supported the Congress.

Badal, on the other hand, said there was no vendetta and the political cover given to the criminals by the Congress was intolerable.

‘Appoint Mrs Badal Akal Takht Jathedar’
Congress head Rajinder Kaur Bhattal did not deter to take her fight to Badal’s home when she suggested during her speech that the CM should appoint his wife Bibi Surinder Kaur Badal as the Jathedar of the Akal Takht. “Badal is controlling the SGPC. His cabinet is full of family members. Why has his wife not been accommodated? She should be appointed Jathedar of the Akal Takht,” she said, adding that Badal had lowered the prestige of the Sikh institutions, including the SGPC.

On the black list, Bhattal said Badal was adopting double standards. “On the one hand he says he does not support Khalistani elements and on the other he wants the black list to be reviewed. Whom he is fooling,” she asked.