Punjab Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal writes to Rajnath Singh, asks to initiate a probe into AAP funding

Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today requested Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to initiate a probe into the funding of AAP allegedly by “extremist elements abroad” which aims to destabilise the state ahead of assembly elections next year.

Sukhbir, in a letter to Singh, requested him to launch an immediate investigation into the “huge amount of money” being received by AAP from “radical elements residing in North America, Europe and Australia”.

Sukhbir, who also holds the Home portfolio in the state claimed, “A thorough investigation into the money trail would unravel and expose those trying to disturb the hard won peace of Punjab through incidents of sacrilege and violence.”

“Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal had virtually revived the radical groups who had been completely marginalised in the state by initiating a dialogue with them,” he alleged in the letter.

“According to our information, an understanding was reached that AAP would hand over SGPC to radical Sikhs in lieu of support from them to win the polls,” Sukhbir alleged, adding “under this understanding radical elements collected under one fold to organise a so called Sarbat Khalsa conference to open a front against SAD.”

Asserting that AAP’s Delhi MLA Naresh Yadav is an accused in a sacrilege incident in Malerkotla, the Deputy Chief Minister claimed the state government has intelligence that radical elements were behind a number of other sacrilege incidents in the state.

Sukhbir said he had conveyed this information to National Security Advisor Ajit Doval earlier and is following up this with this letter as there is a “real threat” to Punjab due to the “support” being given to the radical groups and their cause by AAP leaders.