Dubbing the alliance between the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and BJP as “unholy and opportunistic”, former Chief Minister and Congress candidate from Amritsar, Capt Amarinder Singh on Tuesday asked his SAD-BJP candidate Arun Jaitley to explain what he meant by “social alliance” between the two.
On Jaitley’s reported remark that the Akali-BJP alliance went beyond politics, Capt Amarinder pointed out that the BJP leader had tried to indicate that while the Akalis represent the Sikh community, the BJP exclusively represents the Hindus.
The former Chief Minister said that Jaitley had rather admit that “it was an alliance between two communal parties claiming to be sole representatives of two different communities”. “There cannot be a franker admission by Jaitley that the two parties represent sectarian agenda,” he said.
The Congress leader a day before posed questions to the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on his stand on the Uniform Civil Code, abrogation of the Article 370 and construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya, as mentioned in the manifesto. Badal was finding it difficult to explain his position vis-à-vis BJP manifesto, he said.
SUKHBIR ATTACKS BAJWA FOR NOT FUlFIllING PROMISES
Chandigarh: Taking on Punjab Congress chief and party candidate from Gurdaspur Partap Singh Bajwa, SAD president Sukhbir Badal on Tuesday said that his past as well as his inability to fulfil promises made to the people of Gurdaspur constituency was coming back to haunt him.
“He is set to lose from the seat by a record margin of more than one lakh votes,” stated Sukhbir, who would make his maiden visit to Bajwa’s home constituency on April 10. He said that the PPCC president was set to suffer a backlash from Congressmen most of whom had united with the single purpose of handing him a crushing defeat.
On the other hand, Sukhbir praised SAD-BJP combine candidate Vinod Khanna for “delivering on his promises”. Describing Khanna as “a quiet but tireless worker”, he said that he had made a name for himself “as someone who has joined remote parts of the constituency with each other through more than nine bridges which has resulted in an increase in commercial activity besides better connectivity”.
BAJWA DEFlATES Badal’s POWER-SURPlUS ClAIM
Batala: Punjab Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa on Tuesday questioned the claims of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his deputy son Sukhbir Badal about State turning power surplus after inauguration of three new thermal plants in the State. “The State Government had inaugurated three thermal plants in last three months including Talwandi Sabo and Rajpura, but none of them is generating power at the commercial level. Inaugurations had just been done to cash upon in lok Sabha elections but the people have now seen through their designs and they could not be misled,” said Bajwa while addressing workers meeting at Batala which was attended by Batala MlA Ashwani Sekhri and his supporters. He asserted that Badal Government has met with utter failure on all fronts.
HARSIMRAT PROMISES RESUlTS
Bathinda: Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Tuesday said that the people of Bathinda wanted development and understood that People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) chief turned Congressman Manpreet Badal could not deliver on this front. “Empty words will not wash any water…People want results and understand that I can deliver as I have done so in the last five years,” said Harsimrat, adding that instead of telling the people what he would do for them, Manpreet was being brazen about being a turn coat. Taking on her ‘cousin’ brother-in-law, Harsimrat said: “You have now been exposed before the people of Bathinda who you have been fooling since years by creating facade of an independent party but in effect all along fronting for the Congress.”
SETBACK TO CAPT IN MAJITHA, CONGRESSMEN JOIN SAD
Majitha: In a yet another setback to former Chief Minister and Congress candidate for Amritsar lok Sabha seat Capt Amarinder Singh, more than one and half dozen Congress local leaders and workers on Tuesday left the party and joined SAD. Addressing the gathering of supporters during joining ceremony, Majithia asked the voters to support SAD-BJP candidate Arun Jaitley in the elections. “NDA was all set to form the next Government in Centre and Jaitley would bring funds for development and progress in the rural areas. He hit hard at the Congress for sheltering the corrupt and the tainted,” he added.
CONNECTING VIllAGES WITH HIGH SPEED INTERNET PRIORITY OF CONGRESS: BITTU
ludhiana: Congress candidate from ludhiana constituency, Ravneet Singh Bittu on Tuesday said that the party has been serious about development of villages. “In the wake of development, the UPA Government has been connecting villages with high speed internet in national Optical Fiber Scheme, so the villages become part of development of the country,” he added while addressing slew of election meetings. Bittu said that once connected with high speed internet, the people can easily contact their friends and relatives living abroad. “Moreover, children and youth can develop themselves according to the present scenario,” he added.