The ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Sunday said that former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh should stop showing his alleged concern for the people of Punjab by sitting long distance and instead should try to be among the people like the senior SAD leadership.
Terming Capt Amarinder's latest statement as “something which he might not even know about”, SAD general secretary and spokesman Maheshinder Grewal said that the Congress leader was only trying to prove his presence to the party president Sonia Gandhi.
“The truth of the matter is that Capt Amarinder did not go back to Amritsar after being elected as an MP from there and left Patiala a day before polling took place recently and is not likely to visit the city soon,” said Grewal.
Addressing Capt Amarinder in his official statement, Grewal said: “You passed your time as Chief Minister during 2002-2007 playing polo and hosting late night parties besides squandering the interests of Punjab to liquor dons and trotting up a debt to GSDP ratio of 45 per cent, but have now suddenly developed an interest in its financial status.”
SAD leader said that it was a fact that Capt Amarinder, who had been shifted to Delhi by the Congress, was now desperate to make himself relevant in Punjab by issuing divisive statements to create a wedge between the SAD and the BJP.
Terming Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal as leaders who deliver, Grewal said that Capt Amarinder could be forgiven due to his continuous absence from Punjab, Parliament and even the country for being ignorant that Punjab had been sanctioned road projects worth Rs 10,000 crore during the last few months alone.
On Central grants, SAD leader said that Central funds were received by each state. “However, in Punjab’s case, the erstwhile UPA Government never released funds as per our specific needs. Also, a state like Punjab which makes a higher contribution to the GSDP was never given its due by the UPA. Even its share in Central taxes was reduced from 2.4 to 1.3 per cent”.
Grewal also made it clear that the State was committed to pursue its claim to special financial package for the financial loss suffered by it while fighting nation's war against terrorism. “Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister will soon call upon the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitely in this regard,” he added.