Raking up the issue of Chandigarh, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Saturday said the State has the sole right on the capital city. Chandigarh is a Union Territory and is the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of State-level function to observe death anniversary of Sant Harchand Singh longowal here, Badal said there was hardly any parallel to it that the parent State has been devoid of capital as in case of Punjab. He said that despite of announcing the handing over of Chandigarh to Punjab in Parliament the then Prime Minister had backtracked from it.
Badal said not only this but even the State was also divested of Punjabi speaking areas and its legitimate share in river waters by the then the Congress Government. “Nobody can deny this fact that being the parent State Punjab has the sole right on its capital city of Chandigarh” he added.
On another query, the Chief Minister said that MlA Navjot Kaur Sidhu was like his daughter. He said the allegations leveled by her regarding non execution of development works due to political interference were completely baseless. Badal said that these allegations were totally irrational as massive development was going on in the State.
Earlier addressing the public gathering, the Chief Minister squarely held the Congress party responsible for martyrdom of Sant longowal. He said the Congress had back stabbed Sant longowal by not fulfilling the accord made with him. Badal cited the non implementation of terms and conditions of accord led to killing of longowal.
The Chief Minister said that Sant longowal made the supreme sacrifice of his life for the sake of peace, communal harmony and brotherhood in the state. He said the SAD-BJP alliance Ggovernment was working tirelessly to uphold these ethos as a humble and befitting tribute to Sant longowal.
lashing at the Congress, the Chief Minister said that Congress has irrelevantly meddled in the social, political, economic and even religious affairs of the State. He bemoaned that the Congress Governments at the Centre had deliberately denied the State of Punjabi speaking areas, its capital Chandigarh and even its legitimate share in river waters.
Badal added the Congress was the perpetrator of a deep rooted conspiracy to deprive the State of its waters by constructing the Satluj Yamuna link (SYl) canal.
Terming the SAD-BJP alliance Government as the only pro-people Government in the entire country, the Chief Minister said due to growth oriented policies of State Government, Punjab was today pinnacle of its glory.
The Chief Minister also expressed satisfaction over the overwhelming success of Mukh Mantri Tirath Yatra scheme. He said people were availing benefits of this first of its kind scheme in the country enthusiastically and with full religious fervour.
Hailing the Central Government, the Chief Minister said that in a short span of BJP-led NDA Government’s rule at Centre, Punjab has been immensely benefitted from it.
He said the Union Government has given several key projects to the State, which will be instrumental in putting the State further on high growth trajectory.
He hailed the NDA Government for allocating prestigious projects like All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), Indian Institute of Management (IIM) and Post Graduate Horticulture Research and Educational Institute and other major projects.
In his address, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister, Sukhbir Singh Badal launched a scathing attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) saying that naxalite elements have infiltrated the party which comprises of outsiders trying to capture power in Punjab at any cost.
Attacking the AAP, he said that it only believes in confrontationist ideology and if it comes to power then neither the wheat nor paddy of the Punjabi farmers would be lifted because the AAP wants to exploit Punjab only as a base to spread its wings in other States besides keeping the pot of confrontation with the Union Government boiling.
Sukhbir castigated Congress and said that it has no achievement to showcase during the Chief Ministerial tenure of Captain Amarinder Singh and when challenged in the Vidhan Sabha to list a single developmental measure, the congress leaders fumbled for words.
He said Punjab has been witness to prosperity in every sector only with Parkash Singh Badal as the Chief Minister. He said that several pro-people measures have been undertaken by the SAD-BJP Government during the previous nine years. He listed all the work which the Government had done.
Sukhbir mentioned surplus power, Atta-Dal scheme, shagan scheme, waiving of tubewell bills of farmers, interest free loan of Rs 50,000 to the farmers having five acres or less land holding from co-operative banks, 2.50 lakh jobs to youth in past nice years, soon to be opened three lakh skill centres to provide job oriented training to youth, free health insurance, 5-5 Marla plots to poor people, graveyards for Christian and Muslim communities, bicycles to school going girls, sewing machines for women, sewa Kendars to provide people easy access to government services, 4-6 laned road network, thermal plants , International airports, sewerage and clean drinking water in mandis, dharamshalas, waiving of tractor tax, pension scheme, free medicine centres, memorials dedicated to culture and prominent personalities of all religions, beautification of area around Sri Durbar Sahib at a cost of Rs 2,500 crore.