Patiala, Dec 08: The 'birthday rally' of Shiromani Akali Dal president and former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal began at Gurdawara Dukh Niwaran Sahib here with the announcement of a state-wide agitation by Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Gurcharan Singh Tohra. Addressing a gathering after the bhog of Guru Granth Sahib, Tohra made a scathing attack on Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh saying ''he has forced us to adopt the path of agitation by arresting our leader in a fabricated case and later restricting us from meeting him and his son Sukhbir Badal in Patiala central jail''.
He said the policies of Capt Amarinder Singh and his party were ''suicidal,'' and people of the state would ''teach them a lesson'' in the Lok Sabha elections next year.
NDA convenor and Union Defence Minister George Fernandes and Union Textiles Minister Shahnawaz Hussain are expected to reach here and join the rally around 1430 hrs.
Union Chemical and Fertiliser Minister Sukdev Singh Dhindsa told reporters that both were presently in Bhopal to attend the swearing in of Uma Bharti as Chief Minister of Madhya Pardesh and soon after that they would air-dash to Patiala. He said Union Minister of State for Home I D Swami and Daljeet Punj, MP, were expected to reach Patiala around 1300 hrs.
Meanwhile, thousands of Akali workers thronged Gurdawara Dukh Niwaran Sahib this morning. Patiala police have made special arrangements for the smooth running of vehicular traffic as the gurdwara is located near a highway.
Bureau Report