Addressing the party rally, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Friday took a dig at BJP candidate Swaran Singh Salaria saying, “What can he do for the constituency when he failed to even run his own medical college in Chintpurini, jeopardizing the careers of 1,800 students”.
“The High Court had ordered the closure of Salaria’s college and his Government had sought permission from the MCI to adjust the students in other medical colleges in Punjab to secure their future,” said Capt Amarinder.
Dubbing Salaria as a wheeler-dealer, the Chief Minister said a month ago, the former had approached him for a Congress ticket and had now managed to get one from the BJP.
“He is only interested in making money,” said the Chief Minister while adding that Salaria would never leave his business interests in Mumbai for the sake of the people of the constituency.
Urging people to vote for Jakhar, the Chief Minister described him as an honest and an upright farmer, an eloquent speaker and a fearless and clean politician. “He alone can raise your voice in the Parliament,” he said adding the time had come to take the battle for Punjab interests to the Centre.
Also taking on the Akalis - Prakash Singh Badal, Sukhbir Badal and Bikram Singh Majithia, he said that they had plundered the state for a decade. “They were only interested in making money, even by patronizing drug trade, and they ruined Punjab,” he said.
Khanna was also ‘outsider’
Rubbishing the “outsider” tag on Congress nominee Sunil Jakhar, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Friday said that Punjab, being a small State, cannot be divided in such small terms.
Capt Amarinder, talking to media after accompanying Jakhar for filing his nomination papers, said that Punjab had been divided several times since partition. “It’s a pity that we still think in such terms. How can a Punjabi not be of PunjabIJ” he said.
“Though I belong to Patiala, I had successfully contested Amritsar lok Sabha elections and the voters there had never considered me an outsider,” said Capt Amarinder adding that the opponents raise such “petty issues” in an attempt to mislead the voters.
loan waiver notification soon
On farm loan waiver, Capt Amarinder said the Cabinet had approved the draft notification and the same would be issued after clearance from the Election Commission.
“I do not foresee any objections from the EC, as I had announced to waive off crop loans, up to Rs 2 lakhs for small and marginal farmers (up to five acres) and a relief of Rs 2 lakhs for to the remaining marginal farmers irrespective of their loan amount, in the Assembly in June,” he said.
Saying that he would have personally wanted to provide more relief to the farmers, Capt Amarinder said that he had inherited a Government with empty coffers and hence at present, could not afford to do more.