CHANDIGARH: A fresh controversy over Sarbat Khalsa erupted on Friday with Shiromani Akali Dal accusing the Congress of offering political support to the congregation following a three-and-a-half-minute audio clip which was uploaded on the Facebook page of Sarbjit Singh Jhinjer, student wing leader of Akali Dal.

In the clip, which is an amalgamation of three recorded conversations, two Punjab Congress leaders, Sukhjinder Raj Singh, Lalli Majithia and Harminder Sigh Gill are discussing the need for a gurudwara reforms movement with a Sarbat Khalsa organiser, Satnam Singh Manawa.

While Majithia recollects the contribution of three generations of his family at the Golden Temple, he also offers to send 10,000 people to the Sarbat Khalsa. In a separate three-way conference call, Gill, who was 2014 Lok Sabha candidate of the Congress from Khadoor Sahib, is heard advising one Sikander on pressing the demand for withdrawal of the title, Panth Rattan Fakhr-e-Qaum, that was bestowed upon him by the Akal Takht in 2011, two months before the 2012 Punjab elections.

"Punjab Congress should be condemned for sending its leaders and supporters to the recent congregation, as was proven by the phone recordings of Congress leaders, which were on social media," said SAD president and Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Badal.

Congress Khadoor Sahib MLA Ramanjit Sikki, who recently resigned to protest against the increase of Guru Granth Sahib desecration incidents, has categorically defended his presence at the Sarbat Khalsa.

"I, as a devout Sikh, do not need anybody's permission to attend a religious congregation of my community and I cannot tolerate anybody trying to interfere with what I do about my faith and religion," he said.

Both Congress MP and former CM Capt Amarinder Singh and Punjab Congress president Partap Bajwa snubbed fresh allegations by the SAD, saying that Sarbat Khalsa represented the anger of Sikhs in the state and abroad even as they did not approve of jathedar nominations.

"Ours is a responsible political party which reaches out to people with a healing touch and not with bullets to kill them in wanton rage", Amarinder said.

He also questioned chief minister Parkash Singh Badal's prolonged silence when state was passing through such a critical phase.

"I am surprised why Badal has chosen to keep quiet when the state is confronted with such a serious situation", he said, adding, "Badal is running away from his responsibility yet again."

SAD general secretary Mahesh Inder Grewal dared Bajwa to deny the authenticity of recordings.

"If you cannot do that, recommend disciplinary action against these leaders or else Punjabis will understand that you are hand in glove with them," said Grewal.

The conversations, however, also brought back ghosts of illegal phone tapping. As recently as this June, both AAP leader Bhagwant Mann and People's Party of Punjab supremo and Sukhbir's estranged cousin Manpreet had accused Punjab governmetn of snooping on them.

As part of its state action plan for 2014-15, the Parkash Singh Badal-led government in Punjab had placed an order for room bugs and button cameras.

It has also placed orders for bug detectors to trace surveillance equipment that may have been used against top ministers.

While bugs were to be purchased for the vigilance department headed by the chief minister, detectors were to be bought for the Special Protection Unit (SPU) headed by Sukhbir.

