Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) will move privilege motions against Punjab Cabinet Ministers Navjot Singh Sidhu “for using derogatory language” against its MlA, and Manpreet Badal for denying to have compared families of farmers who had committed suicide with beggars in the House.
SAD president Sukhbir Badal castigated the Finance Minister Manpreet Badal for comparing families of farmers who had committed suicide with beggars announcing that the SAD-BJP combine would move a privilege motion against him.
“Finance Minister in a Press conference yesterday had referred to farmers as destitute. Following this, Manpreet said just like one gave alms to a beggar on a red light to make him go away, similarly compensation was given to suicide victim families…The Finance Minister used the word ‘dafa karo’ to explain how one gave money to beggars even though one knew it should not be done. He also said that he felt families of suicide victims should also be given money on similar lines,” said Sukhbir.
Terming Manpreet’s said behaviour as “obnoxious and intolerable”, Sukhbir said that Manpreet would not be allowed to get away with this. Sukhbir said that Punjab had witnessed a spurt in farmer suicides in the last three months with nearly 90 farmers ending their lives.
SAD president added that the combine would also move a privilege motion against local Bodies Minister Navjot Sidhu for using derogatory language against SAD legislator Pawan Kumar Tinu. He said that Sidhu had misbehaved with Tinu by singling him out on the basis of his caste. “We will also file a formal complaint against Navjot Sidhu with the National Commission for Scheduled Castes,” he added.