New Delhi, Jun 22: alleging "Political victimisation" of leaders of his party at the hands of the Congress government in Punjab, Shiromani Akali Dal president and former chief minister Prakash Singh Badal today said that he had demanded that some home ministry official be sent to the state to "get an assessment of the actual situation".
Badal also denied any links between his party and suspended chairman of Punjab Public Service Commission Ravinder Pal Singh Sidhu and said that he had been appointed during the Congress rule. "Being a constitutional appointment, we could not remove him," he said.

Badal alleged that Akali leaders were being "selectively targeted" and "framed in false cases" by the Amrinder Singh government and asserted that his party would fight back "politically and legally". Badal's comments came as his son and Rajya Sabha member Sukhbir Badal was booked in an assault case of 1999 in Faridkot.
"Police are registering cases against and arresting whomsever they want. All the cases are false," he said here after releasing the names of his party for the Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (DSGMC).
He alleged that old cases were being reopened "in an attempt just to harass Akali leaders".
He said that the chief minister had earlier promised an inquiry into corruption charges by a sitting high court judge but had "backed out" on his promise "leaving the police and vigilance free to catch anybody."
Bureau Report