Describing the newly-appointed Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh as an “irresponsible leader”, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Friday minced no words to say that the two relatives — Captain Amarinder and SAD (Amritsar) president Simaranjit Singh Mann —together hatched the
conspiracies to derail Punjab’s peace and progress.
“Captain and separatist leader Simaranjit Singh Mann, who had attended the Chaba congregation, were relatives and they together hatched the conspiracies to derail Punjab’s peace and progress,” said Badal while addressing the SAD-BJP’s fourth ‘Sadbhavana rally’ at Nakodar.
Seen in completely attacking mode, Badal said that Capt Amarinder and Mann meet every evening to draw strategies for pushing the state in black days. “The Congress and these separatist leaders are hand-in-glove with each other and both have a single point agenda to divide Punjab on sectarian lines, which would not be allowed at any cost,” he said.
Making a scathing attack on Capt Amarinder, Badal said: “This ‘most powerful leader of the Congress is very weak in front of SAD as we have trounced him badly in two successive polls. We are
well aware of Capt and his politics, which is totally a misfit
in democracy.”
He said: “Captain still has an autocratic mindset and his announcement regarding coronation ceremony is a reflection of it as in democracies, party presidents assumes office and coronation is totally unheard and irrelevant.”
Quipping over Capt Amarinder’s claims regarding fall in SAD’s graph, Badal dared him to attend any sadbhawana rally in disguise and see the upbeat mood of every single Akali worker.
“The Congress has realised that it is too weak to counter the popularity of SAD due to which it is now talking of making a grand alliance in coming elections. However, this would also not work for Congress and Captain as people of the State strongly backed the SAD-BJP alliance for its pro-people and development oriented policies,” said Badal.
Accusing Congress of trying to push Punjab back into the black days of militancy, Badal made a scathing attack on the party and
Capt Amarinder as he exhorted people of the State to become “ambassadors of peace and progress”.
He urged the citizens to take pledge for making Punjab a “peaceful and prosperous” state saying that some forces were hell bent upon pushing the State back into the black days.
“We are organising these Sadbhavana rallies not for any political purpose but for promoting ethos of peace and communal harmony,” he said, adding that peace and harmony were the basic ingredients of progress and prosperity.
Describing the sacrilege incidents in the State as “unfortunate”, he said they had bruised the psyche of every human being in general and that of Sikhs in particular. Recalling the times of militancy, Badal said that more than 21,000 innocent people lost their lives during those difficult times and Punjabis had to pay a heavy price as the State lagged behind in development due to it.
Badal, in a major announcement, said that head to tail concrete rejuvenation of Bist-doab Canal would be done at Rs 320 crore within a year.