Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Sunday slammed the State Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa for organising a ‘padyatra’ against the State Government, stating that he should “apologise to the people for his party's sins”.
“He should rechristen this yatra as ‘paschaatap yatra’ and seek an apology from the people of the State for the sins committed by his party against them," he told reporters on the sidelines of a function regarding inauguration of first academic session at Sant Baba Bhag Singh university.
The Chief Minister noted that it was ironic that Bajwa had announced to launch a yatra against the State Government, duly elected by the people, "whereas he has forgotten that Punjabis have been the victims of the step-motherly treatment of the successive Congress Governments".
“So instead of squabbling for power by starting a yatra, Bajwa must use this yatra to apologise for sins committed by his party,” he said.
Congress is set to launch a political offensive against the SAD-BJP Government in Punjab from June 1, which would be followed by mass contact programme in the form of padyatras.
On being asked about reinstating of former cop Gurmeet Singh Pinki, he said, “The State Government was minutely looking into the case”.
Badal said that he was not aware about the case as the permission regarding it might have been given at lower level. However, he reiterated that law will take its own course in the matter.
Pinki, who had been convicted in connection with killing of a man in ludhiana in 2001 was released prematurely from jail last year and reportedly re-instated by the State police recently.
Replying to another question, the Chief Minister said that it was not possible for the State Government to divert funds sent by the Central Government for procurement of grains.
He said that Punjab's track record in procurement of crops “was an open book as the State Government had always adopted a transparent system for it”.
Badal also congratulated Mandeep Kaur Sandhu who won the Junior World Boxing Champion on Saturday and stated that the State Government would extend all possible help to the girl and her family besides duly felicitating her. Badal added that he would soon meet the winner.