Describing Punjab Congress MlAs’ mas resignation as “tamasha”, Deputy Chief Minister and SAD president Sukhbir on Friday said that it was clear that Punjab Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh had resigned from the lok Sabha because he wanted to contest the next Assembly elections from Patiala constituency.
“Same is the case with the Congress MlAs who are ready to face election,” he added.
“Our case is different. We have to safeguard the interests of the State. We cannot run away from our responsibilities like the Congress,” said Sukhbir.
He said, “We will fight for the state’s rights rather than run away. If we were to resign, Governor’s rule will be imposed. Who will then defend the rights
of PunjabIJ We will do anything to oppose any attempt at building the SYl canal.”
Sukhbir added a special the Vidhan Sabha Session has been called to course out the next action. “I assure Punjabis we will come out with a solution to safeguard their waters,” he added. SAD president also assured Punjabi farmers that the party would take the fight to safeguard the river waters of the state to its logical conclusion and would not allow the SYl canal to be constructed at any cost. “We will not rest till we achieve this goal,” he added.
The ruling SAD-BJP combine has announced a state-wide agitation from December 8 and also decided to call on the President Pranab Mukherjee to request him not to accept the Supreme Court’s advice on the SYl issue.
Dubbing the Congress as the party of deserters, SAD’s Cabinet Ministers Sharanjit Dhillion and Janmeja Singh Sekhon stated that the Congress legislators have deserted the people at this crucial hour by quitting the State Assembly en mass when they were most needed and were expected to contribute positively in the fight for the rights of the State.
“Instead of showing solidarity with the people by participating in the proposed one day emergency session of the State Assembly, the Congress legislators have shown their true colours by opting for an easy escapist route,” they said.
The duo reminded the Congress, especially its state president Capt Amarinder Singh that the SAD had ensured smooth unanimous passage of “Punjab Termination of Act 2004” in the State Assembly and had given a clear signal to the country that the entire State supported the crucial legislative measure irrespective of their differences on many other issues.
“But, the Congress, today, has now adopted a diametrically opposed approach. Instead of supporting the Punjab Government in its efforts to protect the interests of the States, the Congress decided to plough its own furrow to serve its vested sectarian interests,” they added.
They added the Congress should have participated in deliberations of one day emergency session of the Assembly which is a legitimate forum to articulate the aspirations of the people and the entire House should have spoken with one voice to give momentum to the State’s struggle. “But the Congress has preferred otherwise…The hoopla created by the Congress is mere fury sans substance,” they added.
SAD spokesperson and Education Minister Daljeet Singh Cheema asked Capt Amarinder that why he did not resign as MP when the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had come to Kapoori to start excavation work on SYl canal in 1982IJ
“Had he resigned at that time, the situation would not have reached this stage,” said Cheema while strongly criticising the dual politics being adopted by the Congress party.
“At the time of start of excavation work of SYl canal, Amarinder Singh stood with Indira Gandhi like a rock and greeted her with full page welcome advertisements in different newspapers. But, today, being afraid of his previous sins, he is enacting drama of resignation just to befool the people of the State,” he said.
Meanwhile, party’s secretary general and MP Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa asserted that they Congress leaders resigned “to play to the gallery and to foment trouble in politically highly charged State”.
“If the Punjab Congress was so aggrieved by the apex court advisory to the President, why party’s other the lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha members did not follow suit and are still glued to their seats,” he asked.
“Amarinder’s claim that all party MPs had offered to quit but he advised them to ‘fight it out the SYl issue in parliament’ is not only afterthought but preposterous. If he wanted party MPs to fight it out, why he did not decide to join them and fight from the front instead of letting his minions alone slog it out. Does he think himself totally incompetent to do the job or defending Punjab interests was of insignificant that he preferred to sit at home,” asked Dhindsa.
Dhindsa, in fact, advised the Congress leaders to quit en mass the party because it was the Congress high command especially under Indira Gandhi which squandered Punjab’s interests including depriving it of its waters, its capital and Punjabi speaking areas that legitimately belonged to Punjab.
“Amarinder should at least explain to people of Punjab how the en mass resignation of his legislators would help in protecting the waters of the State,” he said.