New Delhi, Dec 07: Accusing the Punjab government of "foisting" false cases against Akali Dal chief Parkash Singh Badal, Union Chemical and Fertiliser Minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa today said the cases were a direct result of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's "personal vendetta". "I do not find any other reason for the type of cases being slapped against Badal. It is a direct result of the personal vendetta of the present Chief Minister who was once denied a Akali Dal ticket by Badal," Dhindsa told press persons.

For the last nearly two years, Amarinder Singh tried to hound Badal and his family by all means but did not succeed and hence resorted to slapping false cases, the Union minister said and added "now that the cases are in court we will contest them as per the law". He said the Congress government has unleashed a reign of repression on the Akali workers across the state as soon as it came to power. "The one-point agenda of Amarinder Singh government is to harass the Akali Dal," he said.

To protest this kind of action by a elected government, the Akali Dal units from various parts of the state would start a relay anti-repression rally at Patiala from December 09, Dhindsa said.

Bureau Report