With Assembly elections a little over a year away, it was time for the political parties of Punjab to flex their muscle at the Rakhar Punnya mela here. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal attacked the Congress and AAP for misleading the people of the State to pursue their vested interests and hidden agenda with the sole aim to rule the masses rather serving them earnestly.
Addressing the public gathering here on the auspicious occasion of Rakhar Punnya, Badal said that the leaders of both these parties were opportunists and generally come out in the election season as most of the time they undergo hibernation. On the contrary, Shiromani Akali Dal was the party with rich legacy to safeguard the interests of farmers and the downtrodden as both these significant sections of the society have been ever blatantly ignored by these parties for their narrow interests.
The septuagenarian leader reminded the people how the SAD-BJP ruling alliance offered free power to the farmers despite severe criticism from Centre, adding he said it was on the record when Captain Amarinder Singh’s Government came into power in 2002, he withdrew this concession from the farmers as first and foremost action, which spoke volumes of insensitivity and apathy towards the farming community.
Badal accused the Congress for perpetrating 1984 riots against Sikhs and attacking Sri Harmandir Sahib besides frequently interfering in the religious matters of the Sikhs. He categorically said that Punjabis could never forget the discrimination meted out to Punjab during Congress regime at center be it religious, economic and political issues.
"Everybody knew how the Congress deprived Punjab of its legitimate rights like transfer of Chandigarh and Punjabi speaking areas to the State and sharing of river waters on Riparian principles" said Badal. He said it was time tested that Congress could never be sincere and honest with Punjab and its people because they believed in the policy of divide and rule.
The Chief Minister cautioned the people to beware of nefarious designs of Congress and AAP as both were engrossed in intense infighting on the issue of leadership unlike the Akali party which was united like rock and capable of giving a strong and stable government to ensure overall development and welfare of its people in future.
Taking a dig at Aam Aadmi Party, Badal said it had been able to exploit the sentiments of the people by showing mirage to them and dared its leadership that one can befool the people once but not for all times to come. He said this one year old party in Punjab was heading swiftly towards its decay as its leaders in the State were at loggerheads on the issue of leadership.
Badal also mentioned that top Congress leadership in the state was also sailing in the same boat as Captain, Bajwa and Bhattal were at daggers drawn to eliminate each other from the political scene for their own survival. He outlined remarkable progress achieved by the State Government in different fields-be it Agriculture, Industry, Infrastructure, Education, Helathcare, IT adding he said Punjab has become power surplus state in the country and thus have been awarded the best performing state in Power sector.
With the BJP led NDA government coming to power at center, Badal said that Punjab stands benefited enormously as it has already given gifts like AIIMS, IIM, Heritage status to Amritsar, including Amritsar, Jalandhar and ludhiana as Smart Cities and World Heritage Park status to legendary monument of Jallianwala Bagh and Horticulture Research Institute of Excellence at Amritsar.
Criticising the Congress leadership especially State PCC chief Partap Singh Bajwa for playing to gallery on the issue of Sugarcane crisis, Badal announced that the entire issue with regard to the payment of sugar cane arrears due towards the owners of the private sugar mills and ensuring smooth operations in crushing season would be resolved amicably to the satisfactions of the farmers and the owners of the mills within a week. He asked the congressmen to resist from blowing this issue out of proportion as the State Government was fully seized of the situation and concerted efforts were made to find out a viable solution.
Speaking on the occasion, Punjab Revenue and Public Relations Minister Bikram Singh Singh Majithia termed the Dharnas staged by Partap Singh Bajwa as political gimmick and fraud to emotionally blackmail the farmers whereas his sole objective was to keep his political position intact.
"Had he been sincere in his approach, he would have staged these dharnas outside sugarmills within the vicinity of Gurdaspur district instead of launching these agitations in Nawan Shahr" quipped Majithia. The Cabinet Minister said that Bajwa knew it very well that he has no following in Gurdaspur and could not secure any support there.
Accusing the Congress for attacking Golden Temple and instigating countrywide Sikh genocide after assassination of Indira Gandhi, Majithia said that it should desist from day dreaming to form next Government in 2017. He also criticized Captain Amarinder Singh, who was also grappling with the same leadership crisis and severe infighting within in congress as high command had not yet given their mind to handover reins of party command in the State.
Taking AAP to cudgels for exploiting the sentiments of the people of Punjab, Majithia said that this party has no future in the state and was on the verge of extinction. He also warned anti-Punjab forces who were hell bent upon to tarnish the sanguine image of Punjabis and were deliberately branding them as addicts.