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Against any memorial on Golden temple premises: Amarinder
Former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Sunday said he was against setting up of any memorial on the Golden Temple premises.
Patiala: Former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Sunday said he was against setting up of any memorial on the Golden Temple premises.
"I was against the Bluestar memorial constructed behind the Akal Takhat," he told reporters here, and slammed the Akali Dal for bringing up the issue ahead of polls.
"The Akalis are again perpetuating the sensitive issue only for the sake of votes," the Congress leader alleged. Asked about the memorial of late militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwala, he said he did not agree to erection of any memorial inside the Golden Temple Complex. He, however, added that if somebody wanted to have memorial it should be installed outside the complex.
"The Golden temple has faced many attacks even before the Operation Bluestar... It does not mean that we will have memorial for everything," he said. On Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal describing Shiromani Gurdwara Prabhandak Committee (SGPC) president Avatar Singh Makkar as a "liar" for saying that he had taken him (Badal) into confidence before the construction of Operation Bluestar memorial, Amarinder said for the Chief Minister everyone else except himself was a liar.
"Earlier he was describing me as a liar and now he has been describing Makkar as a liar," he said. "How could it be possible that the SGPC, which is controlled by the Shiromani Akali Dal whose patron is Badal, would have taken such an important decision without his (Badal`s) knowledge?" he asked.
"I was against the Bluestar memorial constructed behind the Akal Takhat," he told reporters here, and slammed the Akali Dal for bringing up the issue ahead of polls.
"The Akalis are again perpetuating the sensitive issue only for the sake of votes," the Congress leader alleged. Asked about the memorial of late militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwala, he said he did not agree to erection of any memorial inside the Golden Temple Complex. He, however, added that if somebody wanted to have memorial it should be installed outside the complex.
"The Golden temple has faced many attacks even before the Operation Bluestar... It does not mean that we will have memorial for everything," he said. On Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal describing Shiromani Gurdwara Prabhandak Committee (SGPC) president Avatar Singh Makkar as a "liar" for saying that he had taken him (Badal) into confidence before the construction of Operation Bluestar memorial, Amarinder said for the Chief Minister everyone else except himself was a liar.
"Earlier he was describing me as a liar and now he has been describing Makkar as a liar," he said. "How could it be possible that the SGPC, which is controlled by the Shiromani Akali Dal whose patron is Badal, would have taken such an important decision without his (Badal`s) knowledge?" he asked.