Violent incidents a conspiracy between AAP, radicals: Sukhbir

SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal today alleged that the recent incidents aimed at inciting violence here and at Lambi were part of a conspiracy hatched by AAP in alliance with radical organisations.
The recent disturbances in Punjab have occurred shortly after AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal (Delhi Chief Minister) held meetings with radical elements, he claimed after filing his nomination papers here.
Yesterday, a shoe was hurled at Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal by a relative of a radical Sikh leader at his home constituency, Lambi, and a group of people threw stones at the cavalcade of Sukhbir in his constituency, Jalalabad, a few days ago.

Union Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, who accompanied him, also filed her nomination as a covering candidate for the SAD president.
Sukhbir claimed Kejriwal had recently held meetings with the three self-styled "jathedars" supported by radical elements besides radical ideologue Mokhan Singh.
Singh heads the United Akali Dal (UAD), a separatist body, that has earlier tried to incite violence in Punjab, he said.

Kejriwal also held a breakfast meeting with Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) frontal organisation Akhand Kirtani Jatha spokesperson R P Singh three days back, the SAD president claimed.
"He has also met radical Sikh leader Amrik Singh Ajnala whose brother attacked CM Parkash Singh Badal yesterday. All this proves that the recent incidents of violence were part of a larger strategy to create trouble in Punjab," he said.

AAP leader Bhagwant Mann, recently, openly asked people to throw stones at the senior SAD leadership and even admitted this in a television interview, he claimed, adding it had been brought to the notice of the Election Commission.
Sukhbir said all these acts were the result of extreme frustration on the part of AAP.
"The party realises that the ground is slipping beneath its feet and that the people are rejecting its anti-Punjab agenda. It is because of this that the party is now resorting to such acts," he alleged.
Asking AAP not to test the patience of the SAD, Sukhbir said the Akali cadre was quiet because it was peace loving and was committed to maintaining law and order.

"The very fact that peace and communal harmony has reigned in Punjab for the last ten years is testimony of this. This peace was achieved after nearly two decades of turbulence. But now some forces have got together and are resorting to 'goonda gardi'," he said.