Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Sunday said that the reports in a section of the local media related to alleged comments by Union Minister Jairam Ramesh that the State Congress leadership was opposing Central grants for the State had exposed the anti-Punjab stance of the party.
“Ramesh”s statement has vindicated SAD-BJP Government”s view that it is the State Congress leadership which is a stumbling block in the path of development in Punjab,” said Badal while interacting with reporters on the sidelines of second day of his Sangat Darshan programme in Qadian Assembly segment.
A few vernacular dailies in the State recently reported a quote attributed to Union Rural Development Minister Ramesh that leaders of Punjab Congress were stopping Central grants from coming to the State. He said that it reflected the “narrow approach” of Punjab Congress leaders towards the larger issues concerning the State.
Taking a dig at State Congress leadership, Badal said that neither they have courage to seek any project from Centre nor anybody cares to oblige them but if we get something for the State, they oppose it vehemently. “Instead of resorting to such tactics, Congress leaders must join the State Government for seeking more funds to ensure unprecedented development in Punjab,” he said.
Replying to another query, Badal said that before asking the State Government to construct a memorial for the victims of militancy in Punjab, the State Congress leadership must ask the Union government to build one.
“Congress has been at the helms of affairs at the Centre for the last decade and if the party”s leaders wanted the memorial constructed, they should have pressurised their Government for doing so,” he added.
Referring to the Food Security and land Acquisition Bills, which were last week cleared by lok Sabha, the Chief Minister said that the Union Government was a “copy cat”. Explaining, he said that although Congress leaders were claiming credit for the two Bills, it was on record that both had been borrowed by the Centre from Punjab.
“While the Food Security Bill had been copied from the “Atta-Dal” scheme, his Government”s decision to not to acquire even an inch of land without the express consent of farmers had inspired the land Acquisition Bill,” said Badal. He said: “The policies are framed by the UPA Government, sitting in the air-conditioned offices, without ascertaining the ground realities due to which sheer mess has been created in the country.”
Due to the wrong policies of the successive Congress governments at the Centre, the country was confronting a number of social maladies like corruption, unemployment, illiteracy and others, he added. lashing out at the Union Government, the Chief Minister said that UPA Government has miserably failed on all the fronts and it has no moral right to remain in power.