Chandigarh, Feb 5 (IANS) Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Badal on Thursday offered to court arrest in DGP Gaurav Yadav’s office here but insisted chartered accountants as well as employees associated with him should not be persecuted unjustly by the Punjab Police on Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal’s orders.
Addressing the media after meeting the DGP along with the party’s core committee, the SAD President said, “The AAP government wants to implicate me in the case involving the status of the 328 ‘swaroop’ of Guru Granth Sahib. Instead of probing the case relating to the ‘swaroops’, the handpicked SIT of the government is raiding business premises of my chartered accountants, including the office of Ashwani and Associates, who file my income tax as well as my former accountants in Bathinda.”
Badal said, “All my balance sheets are being illegally seized, and my employees and their family members are being pressurised to implicate me in a false case. These actions have nothing to do with the probe into the 328 ‘swaroops’ or with the Shiromani committee.”
He also asserted that all his business concerns were in the public domain and that, despite claims by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to demolish the Sukh Vilas resort and stop his bus company from plying in Punjab, nothing could be done as everything was legal.
Asserting that the Akali Dal would not take this goondaism lying down, Badal said, “The core committee has taken a serious note of the entire issue and has decided to come on the roads in case the government continues to harass the SAD leadership in this manner. I also want to warn AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal not to misuse the Punjab Police.”
He also asserted that the AAP government had become desperate to stop the rising popularity of SAD and that a false case had been registered against senior leader Bikram Singh Majithia to stop him from raising the voice of the people.
“Now, after the huge response received by SAD in the Malwa region, which AAP perceived to be its stronghold in the Samiti and Zila Parishad elections, the government has decided to target me.
“This is why SITs, which are acting like private armies of AAP, have been formed to embroil SAD leaders in false cases, ” Badal said.