Slamming the Congress for irrelevantly meddling in Sikh affairs, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Thursday said that people of the state would never forgive them for vitiating State’s atmosphere by pursuing politics of divide and rule.
Addressing a gathering during the State-level function on the martyrdom day of Shaheed Udham Singh, Badal said: “The move to constitute separate committee in Haryana for managing affairs of Gurdwaras in the state is the latest step of the Congress to divide Sikh brethren in the country.”
He said that it was a third major assault on the Sikhs by the Congress, the other two being Operation Bluestar and 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
“The Congress party has always inflicted serious blows to the state both economically and religiously… wise people of Punjab would never forgive it for these sinister moves,” said Badal.
Terming the Congress as state’s biggest enemy, Badal said that the decade-long misrule of Congress-led UPA Government has broken the backbone of Punjab’s economy.
Squarely blaming the UPA government for woes of state’s peasantry, Badal said that due to ill-conceived policies of previous Union Government, the state farmers were today reeling under a whopping debt of Rs32,000 crore.
“Mass exodus of industry had taken place during UPA’s tenure because it extended industrial incentives to the hilly States. However, with the formation of NDA Government at the Centre, the days of discrimination with the state were over,” he said.
Paying rich tributes to Shaheed Udham Singh, Badal said that the supreme sacrifice of this great son of the soil, who avenged Jallianwala Bagh massacre by killing General O’dwyer after 21 years, would ever remain as a source of inspiration for our younger generations to fight against tyranny, oppression and injustice.
Chief Minister, later interacting with the media persons, said that the state government has made all out efforts for delivering corruption-free administration to the people. “The State Government has ensured 100 per cent transparency in recruitment for government jobs. If any case of corruption is brought in our notice, strict action is taken against the guilty person,” he added.
BADAl hopeful OF cENTRE’S drought relief package
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Thursday expressed hope of “positive outcome” to the State Government’s request to the BJP-led Central Government of providing “drought relief package”.
“On account of deficit rainfall in the state, I have already taken up the matter with the Union Ministers to assist the state in dealing with the drought like situation,” said Badal.
He said that the State Government has sought financial assistance worth about Rs2,000 crore to deal with this crisis as it was the bounden duty of everybody to bail out the hardworking and resilient farmers of the state, who had played a key role in making the country self reliant in food production.
“We have vehemently raised this issue with the Government of India (GoI) and I am hopeful of a positive outcome of our efforts,” he added.