CAPT’S RHETORIC TO EXPAND MANIFESTO MISlEADING, MEANINGlESS: AAP
Chandigarh: AAP on Monday told Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh that his “rhetoric” to expand Congress manifesto and bring petrol and lPG prices in Punjab at par with Chandigarh along with 10 percent reduction in power tariff is “misleading and meaningless”.
It would not help him earn the votes, said AAP’s State convener Gurpreet Singh Ghuggi.
Ghuggi countered Capt Amarinder on his “fresh set of soaps” saying that rates of petrol, lPG and other commodities would be same in all States after GST is implemented in the country.
“Capt Amarinder, during his five-year rule, had even discontinued free power scheme for farmers and hiked power tariff for other categories on the plea that previous SAD-BJP Government had left the empty coffers,” he said.
He said that many Congress leaders are also running transport business and it would be foolishness to accept from Capt Amarinder to reduce the tariff of passenger transport.
“The transport mafia in the State is run jointly by SAD-BJP and Congress leaders. Capt Amarinder can’t show single statement during last ten years when he had opposed the repeated hike in bus fares by Badal family benefitting transporters of all parties,” he said.
Ghuggi said that Capt Amarinder and Parkash Singh Badal are replica of each other and they have always put their vested interests above people’s welfare. “Congress and SAD are in agreement to rule by turn and loot the people…Badal and Capt Amarinder have teamed up against AAP to keep the power within them,” he alleged
DHINDSA ASKS SIDHU TO APOlOGIZE FOR IMITATING GURU GOBIND SINGH
Chandigarh: The ruling SAD on Monday said that comedian-politico Navjot Sidhu had hurt Sikhs’ religious sentiments worldwide by imitating Guru Gobind Singh and asked him to apologise for the act immediately.
“Sidhu has displayed the height of arrogance by abrogating the nature of Guru. What is even more hurtful for the Sikh community is that Sidhu is not even remorseful about his actions…Sikhs always atone sinners for their mistakes and the community is all forgiving. But in case of Sidhu, it seems, he thinks he is above the community and even its institutions,” said SAD MP and secretary general Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa.
Dhindsa alleged that Sikhs worldwide were watching Sidhu's actions, and he had “distorted” scriptures earlier also. “If he does not apologise for his actions, it will be presumed that he has no respect for Sikhism. It will also be presumed that Sidhu is deliberately lowering the prestige of Sikhs and its Gurus after joining the Congress party as part of a well-planned strategy. Sikhs will never forgive him for these actions,” he added.
CONG A SINKING SHIP, WIll BE WIPED OUT IN PRESENT ElECTIONS: SUKHBIR
Chandigarh: SAD president and Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal on Monday said that the Congress party is a sinking ship and will be wiped out in present elections.
“Congress is a sinking ship and its leaders have realized that the party has miserably failed to do any good for the State of Punjab. These elections will witness complete rout of the party from the Punjab as has been witnessed in the other parts of the country,” said Sukhbir, after inducting senior Congress leaders into the party fold.
Punjab Congress’ general secretary and Saini Samaj’s president Harbhag Singh Saini, along with Congress’ Ropar District’s SC wing chairman Ajit Paul Singh Naphrey, party’s Ropar’s general secretary Amritpal Singh besides their supporters joined the Akali Dal.
Sukhbir announced that Harbhag Singh Saini will be party’s vice president and Ajitpal Singh will be SAD’s SC wing vice president.
SAD”s Ropar candidate and Education Minister Daljit Singh Cheema said that with the joining of these leaders, Congress has suffered a big jolt and it was all set to receive a crushing defeat in the Ropar constituency besides other areas of the State.
SENIOR AKAlI lEADER FROM MAlERKOTIA JOINS CONGRESS
Malerkotla: In a jolt to the ruling SAD in the Muslim-dominated area of Malerkotla, senior party leader Nadeem Anwar Khan on Monday joined the Congress, asserting that he wanted to serve the people of the area under the leadership of Capt Amarinder Singh.
Capt Amarinder welcomed him to the party fold with the confidence that his support would further strengthen the Congress in its fight against the fascist Akalis.
Khan is a member of SAD general council and former member of the Punjab Waqf Board.
CONG RECEIVES JOlT, SENIOR lEADER JOINS AAP
ludhiana: Punjab Congress on Monday suffered a jolt when its Urban Development Cell’s State vice-president and National Anti-Corruption Council’s State president SK Puri, along with five other leaders, joined AAP in the presence of party’s national organisation building head Durgesh Pathak. Others who joined AAP include HD Kohli, Jarun Bashamber, Manish Chopra, Puesh Kapoor and Parnav Puri. Welcoming, Pathak assured them full respect and due responsibility in the party.
Complainant against minister attacked
Amritsar: Congress leader and advocate Vaneet Mahajan, who had moved the court against BJP leader and cabinet minister Anil Joshi for having two votes, on Monday escaped an acid attack.
He was allegedly attacked by two unidentified persons when he had arrived at a temple on Majitha road. This is reportedly the fourth attack on Mahajan, who has blamed Joshi for the attack. Sources informed that Mahajan narrowly escaped as the acid bottled deflected by from the car bonnet and fell on the road.Police has already started investigations.
Of late, Mahajan has objected to Joshi’s candidature claiming that the Election Commission of India had held him and his family guilty of forging votes and the entire matter was pending before the larger bench of the Apex Court. Joshi, on the other hand, argued that all petitions filed by complainants were quashed by the Supreme Court as well as the Punjab and Haryana High Court, and now they have filed a review petition, which is yet to be accepted by the court.
RAHUl TO CAMPAIGN FROM JAN 27-29
Chandigarh: To give a much-needed boost to the Punjab Congress’ election campaign, its national vice-president Rahul Gandhi will be in the State for electioneering from January 27 to 29, with the young Gandhi scion scheduled to campaign for the party in Jalandhar on January 28.