Pakistan''s ISI, Congress behind Punjab disturbances: Sukhbir Badal

Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, president of the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal, made the allegation while addressing a `Sadbhavna Rally`.

Nakodar: Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said on Friday day that Pakistan`s spy agency ISI and the opposition Congress were behind the forces which created disturbances in the state through recent incidents of sacrilege of the Guru Granth Sahib.

Badal, who is also president of the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal, made the allegation while addressing a `Sadbhavna Rally` in this Punjab town, 40 km from Jalandhar city.

"The initial investigation by Punjab Police revealed that Pakistan`s ISI was behind the recent incidents (of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib). Leaders of the Congress party were also behind the `anti-national` forces which tried to disturb the hard-earned peace in the state," he said.

"We have handed over the investigation of this to the CBI. In the next 2-3 months, when the CBI report comes, you will come to know about the ISI and Congress role in these incidents," he said.

Badal said that the anti-national forces were not only behind the incidents of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib, but also challenged the authority of sacred institutions of Sikhism - the Akal Takht and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee - and violated the sanctity of Sarbat Khalsa.

Addressing the rally, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal accused of newly-appointed Congress state president Amarinder Singh of conniving with separatist Sikh leader Simranjit Singh Mann to divide the Sikh community and create disturbance in the state.