Congress leader Captain Amarinder Singh today condemned the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) for attempting to malign the image of the Border Security Force (BSF), saying it has come at an inappropriate time when the force was fighting the ceasefire violations carried out from across the border.
Captain Amarinder announced that he would be holding a solidarity programme in support of the BSF after the Maghi celebrations.
The Congress leader said that he would be organizing a public programme to boost the morale of the forces, who are braving all odds. Captain Amarinder added that he would tell the force that the nation actually cares about them and acknowledges their sacrifices and everybody was not like the Akalis and the BJP who were out to demoralise them and ignore their sacrifices.
Lashing out at the Akalis for trying to malign and demoralise the BSF, Capt Amarinder said, "Nothing can be more outrageous and shameful than to defame and demoralise our brave men that too at a time when they are giving their lives to defend our borders."
He said the Akalis should feel ashamed for such treacherous act that amounts to betrayal of the forces and so should the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for maintaining a silence.
The Congress leader pulled up the BJP for not condemning the Akalis for this treacherous act in categorical and unambiguous terms. He said the BJP by being ambiguous and ambivalent on the issue had virtually approved of Akalis malicious campaign against the BSF.
He pointed out that on one hand the BSF was involved in a bloody battle with Pakistan paying with the life of its men, while on the other the Akalis were staging protests against them and that too when the force was doing its job well.
More From This Section
"Akalis are trying to shift their own blame on the BSF," Captain Amarinder said.
"When we should be boosting the morale of our forces, some people were out there to defame and demoralise them," he added.
The Shiromani Akali Dal had earlier yesterday held an anti-drug rally at Attari.
Initially, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal had named it an 'anti-BSF protest' but his father Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal denied that the party would hold protest against the BSF and said that his party would hold anti drug rally at Attari.
Sukhbir and two more leaders had used the word 'protest' but not against BSF. They said the protest was against drugs and to bring awareness against the abuse of drugs. At no point they said that they were staging protest against the BSF.
All the speakers at the rally including Cabinet Minister Bikram Singh Majithia said that they hold the BSF in high esteem.