Amarinder Singh criticised Harsimrat Badal for trying to "demean" the authority of Akal Takht

A day after Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal accused the Punjab government of trying to "weaken" the Akal Takht, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday said she is the "most-ill-informed woman" he has ever come across.

The chief minister also termed her remarks "irresponsible and provocative".

Harsimrat Badal on Monday had accused the state government of playing politics over the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev.

"No true Sikh can ever think of showing disrespect to highest temporal seat of Sikhs," said the chief minister.

He criticised Harsimrat Badal for trying to "demean" the authority of the Akal Takht with her "reckless remarks".

"Harsimrat is the most ill-informed woman I have ever come across and she is in the habit of making irrational statements without knowing the facts," he said.

After reviewing the progress on the works undertaken to mark the 550th birth anniversary of the Sikhism founder, the chief minister said the government was committed to celebrate the historic occasion in a befitting manner and open to accept the proposal of the Akal Takht to constitute a joint commemoration committee.

He appealed to all to celebrate the historic event and refrain from interfering in religious affairs.

He also reiterated his government's support to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee in organising all religious functions inside the Sultanpur Lodhi gurdwara, while the state government would hold the main event outside its premises.

Later, the chief minister also hit out at Harsimrat Badal for her "preposterous" remarks that Punjab did not require any agricultural project.

Amarinder Singh said he wondered, "How can she ever claim that Punjab, an agrarian state, does not need an agricultural project."

The Chief Minister also attacked the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) for allegedly trying to scuttle the probe into the desecration of religious texts at Bargari through the CBI.

"It was the duty of the Government of India to accept the state assembly resolution withdrawing the sacrilege cases from the national agency," he added.

"What stopped the Badal father-son duo from constituting an SIT to investigate these cases. Why did they hand these over to the CBI," he asked, targeting former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and his son and former deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal.

Earlier, on reaching Sultanpur Lodhi, the chief minister, accompanied by his cabinet colleagues, paid obeisance at Gurdwara Sri Ber Sahib.