Taking a dig at “diamond merchant” Punjab Deputy Chief Minister and SAD president Sukhbir Badal, State Congress on Sunday “congratulated” him for his speciality to search ‘diamonds’ like Mangat Rai Bansal from amongst the stones of the party.
“He is welcome to take more such ‘diamonds’ and leave the poor stones with us,” stated the party’s official statement.
Sukhbir had announced that SAD intended to pick ‘diamonds’ from amongst the stones in Congress while referring to some Congress workers joining his party. SAD had rewarded Bansal for shifting his loyalties by appointing him chairman of Mansa planning committee.
Bansal, a day before, was sentenced to seven-year in jail by a special CBI court in a case of cheating and defrauding by supplying sub standard rice, resulting in loss to the tune of Rs1.8 crore to the Food corporation of India (FCI).
“The conviction of senior Akali leader and Mansa chairman Bansal has proved beyond doubt superb discovering qualities of the Junior Badal as an expert ‘diamond’ merchant,” the party said.
It added, “As we are aware, while encouraging defections of various leaders of Congress party, Sukhbir Badal had vehemently claimed of having special god-gifted qualities to pick up valuable diamonds from amongst useless stones….Sukhbir undoubtedly seems to have a keen eye for good diamonds, as is proved by the prominence given by him to gems like Bibi Jagir Kaur convict, Jathedar Tota Singh convict, Gulzar Singh Ranike and Sucha Singh langah neck deep in corruption charges.”
“Day is not far when the recently picked diamond in Joginder Pal Jain will show its true colours, as he is embroiled in many more cases than his diamond brother Mangat Rai Bansal,” it added.
Maintaining that Sukhbir considered Bansal and Jain as diamonds, “he is invited upon to take more such diamonds, as we are satisfied with stones or honest leaders in our party”.
“Bansal’s conviction has not only sent shivers down the spine of Akali leaders but has proved the Junior Badal completely on the wrong for promoting defections. If Sukhbir has an iota of morality left in him, he should not only apologize for encouraging the ‘aaya ram-gaya ram’ culture in Punjab politics, but must show the door to opportunist, immoral and unethical leaders like Joginder Pal Jain, who is facing many criminal and corruption cases,” demanded Congress.
The Congress said it would advise other opportunist elements waiting in the wings to defect to the ruling SAD for personal gains, to first see the fate of leaders like Bansal.