Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Wednesday said the defeat of Congress candidate from Amritsar, Capt Amarinder Singh was certain and this would be the last political battle of the former Chief Minister
Addressing an election rally in favour of SAD-BJP candidate, Arun Jaitley at Indo-Pak border constituency of Ajnala sector, Badal said that earlier in the previous election, Capt Amarinder Singh’s son Raninder was defeated by SAD candidate Harsimart Kaur Badal with the margin 1.25 lakh votes at Bathinda and earlier in the Assembly polls in Samana.
Badal said that before the announcement of Capt Amarinder’s name from Amritsar, he was not willing to contest. But the party president directed him to become a scapegoat and was forced to jump into the election fray unwillingly. The Chief Minister urging the inhabitants of border villages to elect Arun Jaitley and send him to Parliament in with a margin of more than 1.25 lac votes.
He said the next Government at the Centre would be of NDA under the leadership of Narendra Modi as NDA alone would bag more than 275 seats. He said Jaitley would get prominent portfolio in the NDA Government besides being a strong voice of Punjab.
Badal said, “Arun Jaitley had a choice to contest from anywhere in the country but it was SAD leadership’s request to field him from Amritsar.”
launching a scathing attack on the Congress, and UPA Government, Badal said that due to wrong policies of Central Government, farmers of Punjab facing debt of `32,000 crore.
Talking about free electricity to tube wells to farmers for agriculture, Badal said that Punjab Government was every month paying `5,000 crore to Electricity Department as subsidy. Blaming the Election Commission for fixing April 30 as poll day, Badal said that farmers of Punjab would be busy in their agriculture fields. He said that Election Commission of India could have fixed April 10 for poll day for Punjab on the pattern of Haryana but intention was something different.
Badal exploited Punjabis’ emotions for personal gains: Capt
Amritsar: Congress candidate from Amritsar, Capt Amarinder Singh on Wednesday alleged that Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had always exploited the sentiments of Punjabis for personal gains.
He alleged that it was his (Badal’s) personal greed that led Punjab going down in economy and development while personal fortunes of Badal went on multiplying.
Addressing a series of public rallies in villages Shukrachak and Vishambarpura in Attari assembly segment here, he urged people to ask Badal what was his contribution towards Punjab. “From day one he has practised the politics of deceit and fraud and betrayal and backstabbed all those who supported and stood by him”, he said, while pointing out, how he let down senior party colleagues and leaders. “He just can’t look beyond his own family”, Captain remarked.
Capt Amarinder warned the Revenue Minister Bikram Majithia asking him to desist from his arm-twisting and intimidating tactics. He said, the time is not that far when the law will catch up with him and he will have to account for all his sins of omission and commission. “Enough is enough”, he told Majithia, while adding, “won’t let you run amuck for long”
Capt Amarinder expressed concern over the spread of drug addiction particularly in the border belt. He said, the drug trafficking was also patronised by the Akalis particularly Bikram Majithia who had been named in the charge-sheet related to dismissed DSP and drug smuggler Jagdish Bhola.
Amarinder behind levy of property tax, says Jaitley
Amritsar: BJP leader Arun Jaitley on Wednesday charged his Congress rival Capt Amarinder Singh with introducing the system of levy of property tax in Punjab.
"On December 8, 2006 just before the Model Code of Conduct for February, 2007 elections were to be announced, Punjab Government headed by Amarinder Singh and Amritsar Municipal Corporation led by its Mayor Sunil Datti entered into a memorandum of agreement with the Centre, accepting all conditions imposed by Congress-led UPA for giving grants to Punjab under Jawahar lal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission," said Jaitley, who is locking horns with Amarinder.
The BJP leader claimed that a handwritten note signed by the Centre, Punjab Government and the Municipal Corporation of Amritsar stating that "subject to commitments given by the Government of Punjab vide the Chief Secretary's letter dated December 2006. This sentence was interpolated by hand in the MOU."
The letter of the Chief Secretary of Punjab dated December 7, 2006 itself committed to the Central Government that "the Government of Punjab would modify the existing rates of user charges of water supply and sewage as well as, put in place, a new system of taxation of municipal properties latest by June 30, 2007 in all municipalities specially those covered under JNNURM," he said.
After taking over the Government in 2007, the SAD-BJP Government deferred the implementation of this proposal by at least six years since they were an imposed, he said.
Jaitley questioned is it not true that Amarinder heading the Punjab Government in 2006 and Sunil Datti heading the Municipal Corporation of Amritsar, who are responsible for having initiated, committed this new system of levy of Property TaxIJ