Surprise check at brother's home indicate frustration: Ex-Punjab Minister

Chandigarh, Feb 19 (IANS) A day ahead of Assembly elections in Punjab, Balbir Singh Sidhu, former Cabinet minister and Congress candidate from Mohali, on Saturday termed the surprise check at his brother's home a result of frustration of the opposition on seeing his clear victory in the elections.

Addressing the media, Sidhu dared AAP Mohali candidate, Kulwant Singh, to fight him politically like a leader and not play "vendetta politics" from behind the scenes.

He said the police reached his brother's home suddenly and without any written complaint.

"Yet we (Sidhu and his brother) fully cooperated with the police during the search. The police failed to find anything. In my long political career, I never did anything wrong. It was a clear case of political vendetta to tarnish me and my family's name and goodwill on the direction of the AAP Mohali candidate," the Congress leader alleged.

The surprise check on Friday evening was a result of the AAP candidate's frustration, Sidhu added.

"I have reached to this position in my political career with long years of hard work. You can't get people's goodwill and affection in a few days. You have to work hard for that," he said.

Commenting on some machines meant for disabled people found during the police search, Sidhu added that on World Disability Day, "we distribute machines, tricycles, wheelchairs etc. to differently-abled children in the memory of my Olympian elder brother, late Baldev Singh Sidhu, who played a big role in my political career".

The Congress leader also threatened to file a defamation case against Kulwant Singh.