Chandigarh: Aam Aadmi Party Punjab media in-charge Baltej Pannu on Thursday strongly criticised the Congress leadership for what he termed a “criminal silence” over former Punjab Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal’s controversial statement, in which she claimed she was advised to allow bomb blasts in Punjab to help the Congress return to power. Addressing a press conference, Pannu said that even after more than 24 hours of the interview going viral, neither Bhattal nor senior Congress leaders have come forward to clarify or condemn the remarks, raising serious questions about their credibility and intent.
Calling the statement extremely grave, Pannu said that Punjab had already paid a heavy price for violence in the past, losing its youth and suffering long-term social and economic damage. He questioned why Congress leaders, including state president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, have remained silent on the issue. Pannu demanded that Congress must clearly state whether Bhattal’s claim was true and, if so, disclose the names of the leaders, officers and advisors who allegedly suggested such actions.
Drawing a contrast, Pannu said that successive Congress and Akali Dal governments had repeatedly compromised Punjab’s interests for political convenience, while the AAP government under Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann stands firmly committed to protecting the state’s peace, dignity and rights. He asserted that Punjab would never again be allowed to become a testing ground for “dark politics” and said the truth behind past incidents would eventually come out.
