Amidst demands from various sections of the Congress leadership for banning of opinion polls, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Monday said that the party’s opposition to such surveys was based on fears as it can see the writing on the wall about its fate in upcoming elections.
“Congress is making this demand as they have sensed the crushing defeat they will face in upcoming Assembly elections in five States, after which they are going to meet the same fate in the 2014 lok Sabha polls,” Badal told the reporters on the sidelines of a State-level function to mark Vishwakarma Puja.
He expressed surprise that Congress, “which has all along been favouring opinion polls, is now opposing the same after finding the winds unfavourable”.
Continuing his onslaught, Badal charged that inflation, corruption, communalism, riots, etc., were “only synonymous with Congress”. “Congress must be thrown out through the power of ballot to get rid off these black marks,” he said.
Referring to State Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia’s recent statement in the Assembly regarding alleged
irregularities committed in land deals by Punjab Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa, Badal said that whatever his Cabinet colleague had said was based
on facts.
“Appropriate legal action would be taken only after a detailed study of the case,” the 85-year-old Badal said, asserting that he had never believed in politics of vendetta, “even after being targeted
severely during Congress regime”. Majithia had alleged that, “(Bajwa) and his younger brother had taken control of shamlat
(village common land) through illegal ways and minted money”.
As to the rally to be addressed next month in Moga by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, especially given the threat perception which he faces in light of the Patna blasts, Badal said, “We believe in peace and communal harmony. I am sure that everything will pass off in a
peaceful manner”.
Paying rich tributes to Vishwakarma, the Chief Minister felicitated the technocrats and labourers of the State and said that lord Vishwakarma was the founder of the engineering, architecture and technology on the earth.
“The industrial and infrastructure growth across the globe that we observe today is only due to the blessings of lord Vishwakarma, who had created mechanical skills. The technological skills coupled with day-to-day advancements have facilitated mankind to grow swiftly,” he added.
Badal appealed the people, especially Punjabi youth, to improve their
professional skills and enhance their
abilities for availing optimal job opportunities being created by the SAD-BJP Government’s pro-people policies
and programmes.