Sukhbir Singh Badal has said that Arvind Kejriwal and AAP are "in touch" with radicals. (File Photo)
Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal has accused Aam Aadmi Party leaders of "aligning with radical groups" of the state and urged the Centre to probe the party's source of funding.
Sukhbir Badal, who holds the Home portfolio, also claimed that Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) had "big plans" to destabilise Punjab by targeting "important" leaders before the 2017 Assembly polls, adding that this has been conveyed to the Union Home Minister and the National Security Adviser.
"All radical groups have aligned with AAP. The government of India should definitely investigate the source of funding of the party," he told reporters in Chandigarh, accusing Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal of meeting representatives of these groups regularly.
"Representatives of these groups have regularly been meeting Arvind Kejriwal. What could be the purpose behind the Delhi Chief Minister meeting them?" Sukhbir Badal questioned.
"Radical leaders like Mohkam Singh are trying their best to use the 2017 election as an opportunity to destabilise peace and harmony that the people of Punjab got after great sacrifices," he alleged, adding that it was "unfortunate" that Mr Kejriwal was "in touch" with such elements.
Expressing concern over recent developments in the state, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president claimed that Pakistan's spy agency ISI had plans to target important leaders, besides carrying out acts of sacrilege to disturb the peace and harmony of Punjab.
"ISI has big plans to destabilise Punjab before the polls. They have plans to target important leaders and engineer acts of sacrilege. We have conveyed this to the Union Home Minister and the National Security Adviser a month back," Sukhbir Badal said.
However, he reposed his faith in Punjab police that they would thwart all such attempts.
The Punjab government has been facing opposition flak over several incidents, including attacks on Sikh preacher Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwale, RSS leader Jagdish Gagneja, an RSS volunteer in Ludhiana and the murder of Mata Chand Kaur.
Replying to queries regarding the status of investigations in the Mata Chand Kaur murder case, Bargari incident and the attack on Gagneja, Sukhbir claimed the probe into the Gagneja case was in an "advanced stage" and the culprits would soon be brought to book.
He said Punjab police had cracked all the cases "in no time" but being "sensitive" in nature, the Mata Chand Kaur and Bargari sacrilege cases were taking some time.
Reiterating the commitment of the state government to maintaining peace and harmony, the Deputy Chief Minister said the SAD had a clear stance "against polarisation" and as was the case in all past instances, it will contest the upcoming polls "on the issue of development and success in maintaining peace and communal harmony".