Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Tuesday made it clear that they were not opposed to the Food Safety Ordinance, but have objections over its timing - ahead of 2014 lok Sabha polls. It is apprehended that the Congress-led UPA Government may convert it into votes.
Terming it as a "cover-up exercise of corrupt and inefficient UPA government", Badal said the UPA's hasty move of bringing the ordinance was aimed at distracting the attention of the countrymen from the various scams and scandals of the Central Government.
"We are not opposed to it but the timing of the ordinance indicated that the UPA government is trying to encash it in the ensuing general elections," said Badal, while interacting with the media persons on the sidelines of the bhog ceremony of late Gurcharanjit Singh Grewal, the father of MlA Manpreet Singh Aiyali.
Badal said that besides food, the countrymen were also facing a number of other problems but the UPA Government had turned a blind eye towards it by adopting the pro-rich and anti-poor stance. "It is on record that Punjab's SAD-BJP Government has the distinction of being the maiden State of the country to ensure food security to its residents by starting the Atta-Dal scheme in its previous tenure. UPA's Food Security Ordinance is nothing more than a copy of this unique endeavor of the State Government," said Badal.
lashing out at the UPA Government, CM said that due to faulty Centre's policies, the countrymen were confronting a large number of social maladies like unemployment, corruption, poverty, illiteracy and others.