Shiromani Akali Dal president and Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal on Tuesday maintained that the Congress party’s decision “to push all tired and bickering seniors into a losing battle against their wishes” is a part of “Formula Rahul-2019”.
He maintained that it was the party’s vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s plan “to finish off the old guard in the Congress and replace them after the lok Sabha poll with new faces personally loyal to him”.
Sukhbir, terming it as ‘Formula Rahul-2019’, equated it with “Kamraj plan” adopted by country’s first Prime Minister and Rahul’s great grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru in the 60s to rein in troublesome old guard.
“All the big names in the Congress then were made to resign from their respective posts in the party and the Government to allow Pt Nehru to re-constitute the party and the Government according to his own wishes. History is repeating itself, though with an unpleasant twist,” said Sukhbir.
Maintaining that Rahul could see that there was no chance at all of Congress forming a Government at the Center after these elections, Sukhbir said that he was clearly preparing and planning for a post-defeat scenario.
“It is known by now that not a single senior Congress leader wanted to contest these elections as they knew
massive wave against UPA Government. That is why people like Capt Amarinder Singh, Rajinder Kaur Bhathal, Partap Singh Bajwa and Sunil Jakhar had publically aired their views saying that they would rather campaign for others then contest. They knew the result. But now these leaders, all of whom are on their way out, have been forced to contest to save embarrassment for Rahul’s younger squad,” he said adding that that was the only reason why all candidates were being cleared “personally” and directly by Rahul Gandhi.
KHANNA HAD EARlIER FAIlED PEOPlE’S ASPIRATIONS: BAJWA
Gurdaspur: Seeking re-election from Gurdaspur lok Sabha constituency, Punjab Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa on Tuesday assailed SAD-BJP candidate Vinod Khanna maintaining that he had earlier failed to meet people’s aspirations when they had elected him to represent them in the lok Sabha.
“Khanna is a paratrooper from Mumbai dropped again by the BJP despite the fact that the people had rejected him in the last election as they wanted someone their own to serve them and be with them,” said Bajwa.
Stating that only a person from that area and region could fully understand people’s problems, he said that his family had been serving the area for years and he was conversant with each and every nook and corner of the constituency and its problems.
“My efforts all along as the MP from Gurdaspur had been to bring in big ticket projects. Parkash Singh Badal government adopted non-cooperative attitude in the allotment of land to some central projects which were later shifted to the neighbouring States,” he pointed.
CAPT TO JAITElY: ClARIFY STAND ON OP BlUESTAR, MEMORIAl
Amritsar: Accusing the SAD-BJP candidate for Amritsar lok Sabha seat of having “double standards”, Congress nominee Capt Amarinder Singh on Tuesday asked the BJP stalwart to “clarify” his and his party’s stand on the issues of Operation Bluestar and its memorial.
“You can’t run with the hare and hunt with the hounds like Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal,” said Capt Amarinder.
Taking a swipe at the senior BJP leader, he said that it need moral courage to “call spade a spade”, admit a wrong and apologise for it, adding, “I understand your majboori (helplessness) but what about your conscience, isn’t that pinching youIJ”
Former Chief Minister maintained that it was not just ironical but hypocritical of Jaitley to oppose construction of Bluestar Memorial on one hand and enjoy SAD’s hospitality, which got it constructed for “narrow partisan reasons”.
Maintaining that Operation Bluestar was a “great tragedy and a wrong decision” and he personally opposed it and resigned from the party and the Parliament to protest against it at that time, he said that Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had apologised for the same.
“But what about the BJP whose senior leaders like lK Advani have proudly claimed to have pressurised Indira Gandhi (the then Prime Minister) to send Army into the Golden templeIJ" he claimed.
The Congress leader said by trying to evade such sensitive issues "Jaitley was only trying to reinforce the well found public belief that he was so desperate to get elected to the lok Sabha even if it meant to bury the very ideals he and his party otherwise claim to cherish".
BJP REACTS, SAYS CAPT SHYING AWAY FROM REAl ISSUE
Amritsar: launching a frontal attack on Capt Amarinder for his recent utterances against Arun Jaitley, the BJP State unit alleged that the former Chief Minister was “shying away” from the real issues.
Refuting Capt Amarinder’s claim that Jaitley was a
‘majboor neta’ (helpless politician), Punjab BJP chief Kamal Sharma said that Capt Amarinder has not uttered a single word on the legacy of inflation, corruption, unemployment, failures on internal and external security and mal-governance, left by UPA Government in the last 10 years.
“Amarinder has no moral authority to comment on Badal (Chief Minister Parkash Singh) as the Congress under his leadership (Amarinder) has lost two consecutive terms to Akali Dal-BJP alliance,” he said.
Sharma said that Jaitley had led public life with a clean slate and with the highest moral standards in the last 40 years, and the nation acknowledge it.
WIll SEEK VOTES ON DEVElOPMENT ISSUE, NOT CASTE: JAKHAR
Chandigarh: Alleging that sitting SAD MP from Ferozepur lok Sabha constituency had “let down” the people, Congress nominee Sunil Jakhar on Tuesday said that he would seek votes on development plank and not on the basis of caste or community.
“I will not go by caste and community combination. I will go to people to seek votes with the agenda of development. People know what they received during last five years and they also see deficiencies. I think people of Ferozepur have been let down during these years,” Jakhar said, who will face sitting MP and SAD candidate Sher Singh Ghubaya.
Abohar MlA and the leader of Opposition in Punjab Assembly, Jakhar said that sitting MP had “failed” to deliver on many counts, including opening of Hussainiwala border with Pakistan, solving waterlogging problem and improving “pathetic” condition of urban areas.
On resentment shown against his candidature by Guru Har Sahai MlA Rana Gurmeet Sodhi who was aspiring for the ticket, Jakhar said that he understood his unhappiness, but asserted he (Sahai) would realise why the ticket was given to him. “I am sure he realises why and how the ticket was given. I can very well understand his unhappiness. But we will work together (to win this seat),” he said.