Summary:
Chandigarh, Dec 7 (PTI) Former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday questioned the Congress over the appointment of Ajay Maken as the chief of its key panel for the state Assembly polls, alleging that the leader"s uncle was involved in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
The Shiromani Akali Dal also questioned his appointment and said that it indicated the concern that the Gandhi family and the Congress high command have for the Sikhs and their sentiments Maken, who is the Congress general secretary, was appointed the chairman of the screening committee for the shortlisting of candidates for the Punjab Assembly polls.
Singh also dubbed Maken a "failed politician", saying under him the party lost two successive Assembly polls in Delhi.
"Maken is the nephew of Lalit Maken, who was one of the main culprits of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Delhi.
The Congress could not have nominated a worse person than Maken for the job," the former chief minister said in a statement.
Singh said while the Centre is going ahead with the "prosecution of another culprit, Sajjan Kumar, the Congress is rewarding the Makens and that too in Punjab, thus rubbing salt into Punjabis" wounds".