Demanding review of “erroneous and grossly discriminatory decision” of the Modi Government to further extend for 10 years the “tax holiday” to neighbouring hill states at the cost of Punjab’s dilapidated industry, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) staged ‘dharna’ against the Union Minister and SAD MP Harsimrat Badal in New Delhi.
“She is a signatory to this step-motherly cabinet decision of the Modi Government,” said the protesting MlAs who were detained outside Punjab Bhawan, on their way to hold a ‘dharna’ in front of Harsimrat’s official residence.
AAP MlA and the leader of Opposition in Vidhan Sabha Sukhpal Khaira, leading the dharna, said that it was the then Vajpayee Government in 1999 that first initiated complete tax benefits of central excise duty, sales tax, income tax etc to the said hill States.
“Dharna was organised in front of Harsimrat’s house because her husband Sukhbir Badal was the Industries Minister in the then Vajpayee Government that wreaked havoc upon the industry of Punjab through this discriminatory decision,” he said.
“Our decision to hold demonstration and dharna outside Harsimrat’s residence is against Centre’s decision to provide tax concessions to hilly States of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand regarding industries,” said Khaira adding that the provision robs Punjab industries and trade from a level playing field.
He said that the agitation outside Harsimrat’s residence was also to expose the Shiromani Akali Dal’s “double standards”. “While former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal alleges in Punjab that the Narendra Modi Government is discriminating against the State, Harsimrat continues to be Minister in the Government…Harsimrat is signatory to the decision of the Cabinet regarding extending the tax holidays to the hill States,” he said.
“AAP’s demand is for roll-back of the Government’s decision or grant the same benefits to Punjab…In case, this does not happen, SAD must break ties with the BJP,” said Khaira.
Daring Harsimrat to resign from the Cabinet as a mark of protest against the anti-Punjab decision if she is genuinely concerned about the plight of the state, AAP MlAs said that otherwise it would be presumed that like her husband, she is also anti-Punjab and responsible for the decline of industry.
Also criticising Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh for not taking up the matter with the Centre, Khaira said: “I suggest that Capt Amarinder must also come and sit on a ‘dharna’ against the Modi Government, as no new industrial investment will come to Punjab till this package to hill States is withdrawn.”
“AAP holds all the traditional parties including Congress, BJP and SAD responsible for the collapse of industry in Punjab, through mischievous, discriminatory and erroneous decisions of the Central and State Governments,” said Khaira, adding that the party demand that the Centre must immediately reverse “anti-Punjab and anti-industry decision without any further delay”.